Recession closes village pub
Tuesday 13th January 2009, 4:15PM GMT.
A Shropshire village pub is to close, with licensees blaming the economy for the “horrible” decision.
Graham and Fiona Didlick have been tenants at The Sun Inn, in Clun, for 16 months. Today, Mrs Didlick, said the couple took the decision to leave the Marstons pub a few weeks ago and closed its doors on January 3.
It was revealed yesterday that pubs in Shropshire are closing at a rate of two a month as the industry is plunged further into crisis by the credit crunch.
Mrs Didlick said factors including increasing rent and running costs, and diminishing trade had led to their decision to close the pub. Two permanent and two part-time members of staff have lost their jobs as a result.
The couple are shortly to make a final decision on whether to leave permanently, as Marstons have offered some concessionary rates in a bid to help out. Clive Thompson, from Marstons, said: “We are hopeful the rescue package will be enough to keep the couple as tenants.”
The announcement comes after Councillor John Pritchard, the chairman of Pontesbury Parish Council, claimed landlords in Shropshire villages were being pushed out of their pubs by high rents.
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The greedy breweries and pub chains are turkeys voting for Xmas. Extortionate rents, ridiculous prices and the smoking ban on top of the recession are all conspiring to drive the Great British Local the way of the Dodo.
Residents of Clun support your local! Its the quietest place under the Sun but believe me it’ll be even quieter without it!!
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Not the economy BUT GREEDY BREWERYS.
I do not understand why people go in the trade? why do the banks lend them the money?.
They all go bust and we all end up paying for it.
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no i think this is due to the smoking ban
as have lots of pubs but ther just to scard
to say.
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This is nothing to do with the smoking ban. Pubs are far more attractive without the stench of cigarette smoke.
The beer in this brewery-owned pub was significantly more expensive than their neighbours at The White Horse, The Crown (Clunton) and The Crown (Newcastle) where there are no brewery ties.
What is killing pubs like The Sun is the insistance of their brewery landlords that they source all their stock from the brewery and not allow them to buy in a competitive market.
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