As many as 650 country pubs will close over the next 12 months as traditional village life “is plunged into terminal decline by a chronic shortage of affordable housing”, a coalition of industry groups have warned.
The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has joined forces with the National Housing Federation (NHF) and the Rural Shops Alliance to highlight the number of pubs and shops closing down in rural areas.
The BBPA revealed that more than 600 pubs shut last year in the British countryside and warned there was little sign the dramatic decline was slowing down. Across the UK, it estimates 54 country pubs could close every month if current trends continued.
The groups are calling on the Government to provide more affordable housing to stop local families from being priced out of the area by an influx of wealthy commuters and second home owners.
The “chronic shortage” of affordable homes has also made it increasingly difficult for pubs and shops to find workers who can afford to live locally and survive on modest wages, they warned.
Mark Hastings, director of communication for the BBPA, said: “Much loved community pubs are right at the heart of village life. They are also a key part of our heritage and a huge draw for tourism. All too often, pubs are one of the last community facilities in many villages. Across a range of fronts, we badly need policies from the Government that support pubs.”
NHF chief executive David Orr added: “If the local pub and shop disappear from a village, it rips the heart out of community life. Many villages are now in real danger of losing their unique identity. They are becoming holiday zones preserved for tourists and second home owners, which close down for business in the winter.”
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By Daniel Thomas
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