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10
Oct
Local pub and bar owners 'sceptical' over licensing changes
Pubs and bars could see extended opening hours as the government looks to change licensing rules.
The loosening of rules will also see licensed premises allowed to serve food outside and host more live music.
However, some pub and bar owners in the Harrogate district are sceptical over the planned changes.
Martin Greenhow, managing director of Harrogate late-night bar Mojo, told the Stray Ferret:
I’m sceptical that it will produce the desired effect. I’m not convinced it is going to give a positive impact, there’s many other things that they could be doing.
There is a significant impact on footfall in hospitality, and it is not inhibited by a lack of hours, it’s people’s lifestyle.
Politicians want to make a point and scream that they are doing better.
Mojo in Harrogate.
Simon Wade, owner of Grantham Arms in Boroughbridge and several other pubs in the area, said:
It’s the wrong way to look at it and try and help the industry.
They [the current UK government] are now trying to say that they are looking at hospitality and giving us a voice. Well, we’ve got a voice and it’s never been heard.
Jay Smith, owner of Montey’s in Harrogate, echoed this:
This call for evidence may prove useful, but it also risks becoming political cover down the line for ministers to say they ‘tried’ while sidestepping the real issues.
Give us a fair tax and rates regime and we’ll do the rest: invest, hire and keep our high streets alive.
Several factors have impacted the ability to own a bar or café in the Harrogate area over the last year.
This summer, North Yorkshire Council approved a measure to triple the cost of pavement licences for outdoor seating.
Pubs, cafes and restaurants were previously charged between £0-£100 to put outdoor seating on the pavement.
The cost of this licence shot up to £400, and £305 for a renewal.
Food costs are also continuing to rise steeply at 5.1%, despite other UK inflation remaining stable at 3.8%, according to the Office for National Statistics.
These factors have led local businesses to say that extending hours is the wrong approach to owners expressing other concerns.
Rick Jones, owner of The Water Rat in Ripon, said, "there’s only so much you can charge for a pizza".
He said:
It won’t help the bigger issue of helping staffing costs. We don’t need to open more hours, we need to work on rising costs.
The Water Rat in Ripon.
Mr Smith of Montey's and Mojo's Mr Greenhow stressed the need for meaningful reforms to what Mr Smith referred to as the “big three”: employer National Insurance, business rates, and VAT.
Mr Greenhow also said that Mojo had to close its kitchen due to rising costs.
Pub group owner Mr Wade agreed:
What we need is a tax break and relief on National Insurance. If you want to have 20 employees, then you have to pay National Insurance for them as well.
You can open longer and later, but the cost of doing that is even more than before. They’ve [the current UK government] got to reduce the rate of that.
Since the autumn Budget in 2024, almost 89,000 hospitality jobs have been lost, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Mr Smith said:
Any serious government attention to licensing is welcome. Modernising a 20-year-old system will help at the margins. But let’s be honest: licensing tweaks won’t fix a sector that the last Budget has already hammered.
There won’t be much of an industry left to benefit from new flexibilities.
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