Focus on Public Houses

Pubs Calling Last Orders Fall In 2020

During the 2020 calendar year around 37 pubs a month ‘vanished’ from the English and Welsh communities that they once served, having called last orders for the final time. Down 6% on 2019 despite the pandemic.

The overall number of pubs in England and Wales liable for business rates, including those vacant and being offered to let, fell to 40,617 on 31st December 2020 down 446 compared with 41,063 on 31st December 2019.

Pubs which have ‘vanished’ have either been demolished and/or converted into other property types, such as homes and offices, with the rate also down 51% on the 914 in 2018.

Pubs in England and Wales received a 1 year business rates ‘holiday’ worth £768.12 million for 2020/21 and were eligible for £557.94 million in grant funding worth either £10,000 or £25,000 per pub at the start of the pandemic.

England & Wales

31st December 2020 31st December 2019 31st December 2018 31st December 2017

Pub Numbers

40,617 41,063 41,536 42,450

Source: Real Estate Adviser, Altus Group

Pubs Lost

446 473 914

“Pubs bore the brunt of COVID-19 restrictions in 2020, but proved remarkably resilient aided by Government interventions such as furlough, grants, rates relief and liquidity in the form of cheap loans helping keep the ‘pilot light’ on. “

At the start of 2021 top up grants linked to business rates were provided to further help closed retail, leisure and hospitality businesses negate the continued economic impact of the third national lockdown.

Payments of £4,000 were made available for businesses with a Rateable Value of £15,000 or less, £6,000 for businesses with a rateable value of between £15,000 and £51,000, and £9,000 for businesses with a rateable value of more than £51,000 providing an additional £239.14 million in support.

Restart grants have also been provided - see pages 16 to 18.

Top 10 Council Areas For Pub Top Up Grants

Council

Cornwall Council (Unitary) Westminster City Council Leeds City Council Liverpool City Council Wiltshire Council (Unitary) Birmingham City Council Manchester City Council Sheffield City Council Shropshire Council (Unitary) Durham County Council

Pubs

593 379 467 452 475 384 371 400 422 442

Support £

£3,398,000 £3,188,000 £2,865,000 £2,775,000 £2,548,000 £2,539,000 £2,404,000 £2,402,000 £2,288,000 £2,225,000