Warning over county pub trade future
Thursday 5th March 2009, 12:00PM GMT.
Shropshire’s pub trade was today in its death throes with a former licensees’ leader warning it was “survival of the fittest”.
It comes as Telford saw the demolition of one of its landmarks with the loss of another pub, The Dun Cow in Dawley.
The public house, which had stood in the old town since 1811, is being knocked down to make way for a care home.
And the bulldozing of The Dun Cow is a scene which is being repeated across the county as pubs which were once the thriving heart of their community close their doors forever.
It is among 2,000 pubs nationwide which have shut since Chancellor Alastair Darling’s 2008 budget, with the loss of 20,000 jobs.
Developer Bond Care 5 is clearing the site after an arson attack on the derelict building in New Street.
The firm is hoping to build a 72-bedroom care home, creating 80 jobs, if Telford & Wrekin Council gives planning permission.
Eddie Main, former secretary and treasurer of the now defunct Telford Licensed Victuallers’ Association, said he was saddened to see the death of a once fine pub. He said: “It used to be an Ansells pub and was always well run and very competitive, doing a good trade despite there being eight pubs within 200 yards of each other in Dawley.
“I warned 12 months ago that the pub trade was in its death throes. And, sadly, my words are ringing true. It’s survival of the fittest.”
His comments come as members of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group met yesterday to discuss the crisis in the pub trade.
David Wright, Labour MP for Telford and a member of the group, is calling for ministers to look at the taxation of alcohol to help pubs compete against cut-price drink sold by supermarkets.
The British Beer and Pub Association blames the record number of pub closures last year on a hike of 18 per cent in duty, plus the promise by Mr Darling of a two per cent above inflation rise in this April’s budget.
Rob Hayward, association chief executive, said: “There was understandable political concern about the 850 job losses at Mini. The pub sector is losing nearly twice as many jobs every month.”
The group is urging the Government not to slap any more tax increases on pubs.
Pub closures – the facts
- Pubs in Shropshire are closing at a rate of two a month.
- Seventeen pubs shut in just nine months across the county, according to figures compiled by trade research and consultancy firm CGA Strategy in January.
- In September 2008 there were 685 pubs across the county – a loss of 34 pubs in less than two years.
- The credit crunch and cheap booze in supermarkets – as well as high rents on premises – are blamed as major reasons for the losses.
- At least six pubs in Oswestry have closed or are being run by temporary management because no permanent manager is willing to take them over.
- At least a dozen pubs in Telford have closed with a number being demolished to make way for developments.
- About seven pubs in Shrewsbury have closed.
By Peter Johnson and Lisa Rowley
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it seems strange that its affecting most places in Shropshire, but in Newport new bars and pubs are opening up.
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sorry to say its the coverments fault again that we are going to lose our great british pubs..they keep puting up the tax on beer making it almost impossible for the working man to enjoy his pint after a hard days work..
they also stopped the smoking in pubs..
what was better than sitting with your mates having a drink and a smoke.very relaxing..
notice they didnt stop the smoking in the house of commons.and there was less tax on spirits..
what was wrong with the old fasioned smoking rooms..that pubs used to have..bring them back..that way no one could complane about passive smoking.
and why was the dun cow at dawley knocked down..surly this should have been a listed building given its age..
ok i have had my moan..
now lets all get together and stand up for our rights..brink back smoking in pubs and less tax on beer
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Perhaps society is changing?
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The government said it was going to reduce anti social behaviour caused by drinking. What a sly way to go about it – make it impossible to buy a pint in a pub so the pubs all close down and everyone stays home. Punishing the many for the sake of a few I think and a very roundabout way of meeting a political commitment
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even as a smoker i agree with the ban in pubs i like to take my kids out for a meal and as is in the home i wouldent dream of inflecting my addiction on there young lungs. if WE want to save the great brittish pub they need to reduce the tax on a pint and increase it when sold in supermarkets and the like. i agree theres nothing quite like sitting in the warm having a few pints with your mates or familey & strangers soon to know, it also leads onto the scottish idea of pricing by unit this aspect will only hit pub culture even harder
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Diana – and I’ll be happy to stand up for my rights not to have to breathe other peoples filth in.
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With no smoking, less drinking and no speeding we are all going to live into our nineties. It is a shame that the above will make the extra years so miserable.
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The demise of pubs began in the late 1990′s before the smoking ban came into force. It became more acceptable to drink at home with the choice of beers and wine from around the world. Instead of the old party days or Black Tower/Blue Nun wine and party kegs.
That is why all pubs started to diversify to food to ensure the public came through the door.
The pubs of the past with darts, dominos, football and pool teams are sadly the one’s that are now closing. Society has changed.
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It’s not the “Great” British pub that’s threatened. It’s the rubbish ones. Landlords that make their pub the hub of a community, offer good beer and honest food will thrive.
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Diana whilst I agree with many of your points do you think the British Public have moved on from nightly visits to the local pub? we can drink so much more cheaply at home.
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RIP the Dun Cow 1811-2009
I’ve spent many a night there and its a travesty that after 199 years this is what has happened. The bowling green should have been listed let alone the building.
Quite why the local councillors didnt stop this happening is a little mystery – As they have all been strangely quiet, with the exception of Mr Tonks who tried to tell us about the wonderful development that would be taking the place of this irreplaceable piece of Dawley’s history!
With the loss of Dawleys Bingo hall, the Friday market a joke, Lloyds moving out and now so many pubs closing Dawley really has become a ghost town – Try walking down the length of the high street on a Saturday night and you will be lucky to pass a soul!
Quite honestly locals are feeling totally let down by T&W and their local councillors. No doubt someone will point to the wonderful regeneration plans but given that Telford was originally supposed to have been built around Dawley is it little wonder that locals have shown complete apathy over the regeneration plans? Dawley is still waiting for the swimming pool they were promised in the 1960′s!
Its all too little too late in my opinion!
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shrewsbury is getting worse for pubs shutting.
I dont go out into town anymore due to it being too expensive.
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To all the people who said they would start going to pubs if they weren’t smokey – WHERE ARE YOU ? The pubs are smoke free and customer free now.
A good step would be to allow seperate indoor smoking rooms – well ventilated they wouldn’t affect other pub users. Plenty of smoking bar staff who’d be happy to serve in them.
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I partly agree Patrick.
Having made the point about smoking I think the Government now need to backstep and allow smoking areas inside pubs – but only where proper ventilation is supplied and staff and non smoking customers are not effected!
The smoking ban is the pubs owners fault though, the smoking ban only came in because they didnt voluntarily enforce smoking areas in their pubs in the first place!
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bring back the elephant and castle in mardol!!!!!
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Well, in about half an hour my wife and I will be in our local as usual on a Friday. By nine, it will be standing room only (due to size and number of punters).
The only food served is good quality crisps and pork scratchings, accompanied by possibly the largest range of real ales and continental beers in Salop.
Happy days!
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Its a government plan to stop the next working class uprising. The English civil war, the gunpowder plot and the miners strikes were all planned in pubs. Simple, close the pubs and people will stop talking to each other..
either that or this ridiculous smoking ban
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Nothing ridiculous about the smoking ban, it’s one of the very few things this government has got right. Although in truth, it was only a matter of time, and would have eventually come whichever party was in power. Sign of the times I’m afraid – deal with it.
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Stop blaming the smoking ban, we go to the pub a lot more now because of the ban. The pubs we drink in around Shrewsbury are packed out, standing room only. If a pub can’t attract customers then it’s for the best it closes. We use our local a lot because they serve great food and it was busy even throughout January and Feb.
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good pubs/bars are busier than ever – in shrewsbury on many nights of the week, not just weekends its standing room if youre lucky in the nags, the armoury etc, nice places work, why would you do to a horrible one, when you could stay home, the business’ have to take responsibility to provide what customers may want and not rely on doing th same thing they have for years!
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labour taxes our beer, shows how out of touch they are
we will slash taxes on everything
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sadly the problems are two fold, 1st this wretched government raising tax on drinks to such an extent that it is cheaper to drink at home. second problem is that most pubs are owned by pub companies who are raking in any profits at the espense of their managers/landlords who are faced with charging £3 to £3.50 a pint which most people like me refuse to pay.
the only pubs doing alright are free houses and pubs with a good name for wholesome reasonable food. my local freehouse in devon charges 2.50 a pint, steak and kidney pie 5.25 etc and is thriving.
my local freehouse in shropshire charges 2.10 a pint and is also thriving.
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the smoking ban has not contributed to pubs closing, it is high taxes and greedy pub companies, with the proud exception of wetherspoons. if we all boycotted pub chains except wetherspoons and stuck to free houses, we would have 50% less pubs and cheaper beer
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