11:33am Friday 9th May 2008
By Charley Morgan
AT least five pubs in the picturesque town of Bradford on Avon are being sold off after their owners say they are struggling from a lack of trade.
Landlords at The Riverside Inn, The Georgian Lodge, The Beehive, The Bunch of Grapes and, it is understood, The George in Woolley Street, are all either selling up or not renewing their leases.
They say a lack of trade and increased costs has simply made their positions untenable and blame the smoking ban, the rise in tax on beer and mounting running costs.
Peter Eveleigh, who owns The Riverside Inn next to St Margaret's Hall, said: "It's Government bureaucracy like the smoking ban and overhead costs - it's just not the business I entered into 12 and a half years ago.
"We have all been hit by the smoking ban. People aren't going out to pubs in the evening in the numbers they used to."
Mr Eveleigh has tried all sorts of initiatives to make the business more profitable, like hosting live music events in The Black Cat function room and hosting various meetings for clubs such as the Wine Appreciation Society.
But, despite being the only venue in town with a late licence, he has decided to sell up.
Mark House, 39, of The Beehive in Trowbridge Road, said: "We have just put the pub on the market because we are that close to going bankrupt."
He said he has been fighting for a rent reduction with owners Punch Taverns but has got nowhere.
He added: "We were valued at £90,000 last August, but now it's down to £60,000.
"I had to put 15p on the price of our beer after the Budget. I've been in the trade 10-15 years and never done that before.
"A lot of the pub companies aren't brewers, they're property companies and they will just sell off the pubs for housing if it gets too tough."
The lease for The Bunch of Grapes in Silver Street is up with Young's and The Georgian Lodge, in Bridge Street, is also up for sale.
Neil Williams, of the British Beer and Pub Association, said 28 pubs are closing every week across the UK.
He added: "It is affecting every region and every type of pub.
"There are perfect storm' conditions at the moment.
"The economic downturn means people aren't going out as much and combined with the rise in tax on beer after the last Budget it makes the problem worse.
"The smoking ban certainly has hit trade hard and there are very big cost increases in energy, transport and on commodities like grain and barley."
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