Local Pubs are Struggling

3.45.00pm GMT Mon 8th Dec 2008

Vincent Cable, MP, has carried out a survey of local pubs which suggests that a high proportion are struggling, with declining numbers of customers and rising costs, especially those tied to tough tenancy agreements with so called 'pub companies.

Vincent Cable said: "the traditional British pub is fast disappearing. Some of the smaller pubs tell me that they are getting two or three customers some evenings. Habits are changing and the smoking ban has lost some custom. Now there is a recession. And the tenancy agreements, which a lot of publicans have, are very heavily skewed towards the big pub companies".

"There is an understandable concern amongst the general public with binge drinking and ant social behaviour. But this is rarely an issue for the traditional pubs which maintain good standards. Some of the publicans tell me that the traditional pub will have disappeared in five years".