The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) is urging the Government to act in the next Budget, as new figures show rising public concern about the number of pubs shutting their doors as a BBPA survey finds that nearly a third of people have experienced or witnessed loneliness linked directly to the closure of a pub.
According to the BBPA, two out of three people now say pubs play a key role in tackling loneliness. One in three say they or someone they know has felt more isolated as a direct result of losing their local. In Scotland, 206 pubs have closed since 2021, and the trade body warns that one pub a day could be lost in 2025 if the pressure of tax and regulatory costs is not addressed.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said, “This polling confirms that for many, the local pub is a lifeline, not a luxury, and the loss of a pub can have a real and devastating impact. It’s made all the more concerning given our prediction that one pub will close every day this year, with heavy tax and regulatory costs often at the heart of why they’ve been forced to shut.
“The Government must use this once in a generation Budget to reset and reform the unfair tax burden and costs, which would help pubs keep their doors open and continue to fend off loneliness, which is affecting so many.”
The BBPA’s latest polling, released under its Long Live the Local campaign, shows that six in ten people across the UK are concerned about pub closures in their area. Seven in ten consider pubs important for their local social life. The figures reflect growing awareness of the wider role pubs play as informal support networks and social hubs.
In Scotland, 63% of people surveyed believe pubs help tackle loneliness. The figure rises to 64% in Wales and 71% in the North of England, where closures have hit hardest.
Philip Howell, Professor of Historical and Cultural Geography at the University of Cambridge, and author of the book Pub, said, “When pubs are ripped out of communities and neighbourhoods, the damage to social cohesion is incalculable. With rapidly rising levels of loneliness, we need pubs more than ever. As the survey suggests, the cost of standing by and watching pubs close will be measured in even greater isolation and the fracturing of our communities.”
The trade body is calling on the Government to address the issue in the upcoming Budget by cutting beer duty in line with European levels, overhauling business rates and tackling rising compliance costs. Supporters are being encouraged to email their MP as part of the BBPA’s Long Live the Local campaign, ahead of the Budget announcement.