83 Scottish pubs closed in last six months

March 15, 2008: The Scottish Beer and Pubs Association (SBPA) estimates that 83 pubs in Scotland have closed in the past six months, echoing closures south of the border revealed by the British Beer and Pub Association.

Said Patrick Browne, SBPA Chief Executive: "Under the 1976 Licensing
(Scotland) Act there is no process for detecting falls in the number of pubs
in Scotland until possibly as late as three years after they have closed
their doors for the last time, so these figures are very significant," said Patrick Browne, chief executive of the SBPA.

"These figures suggest that a total of 83 pubs closed in Scotland over the last six months, with 19 of these in rural areas, 31 in suburban areas, and 33 of them in urban areas. That is one pub in every 47 urban pubs in Scotland, or 1 in every 69 overall as classified by [sector marketing experts] CGA."

Mr Browne said that while there there would always be churn in the licensed trade as pubs close and new ones open, these figures should cause concern to policy makers in Scotland, given that a large number of pub operators don't even appear to want to go through the process of licensing transition, which only formally commenced on March 7 with the first deadline for submission in new premises licence applications in Scotland.

Mr Browne added: "Politicians in Scotland should realise that the impact of the legislative burden and costs they are imposing on Scotland's pubs is actually now starting to have an impact on pubs, many of which represent the heart of the communities they serve being forced to close their doors and cease trading"

l Ken McGown, Scottish regional director of Scottish and Newcastle Pub Enterprises, has been elected vice-president of the SBPA following the promotion of former vice-president Alastair Mouat, managing director of Broughton Ales Limited, to the role of president. This followed the retirement of Sue Allen, regional operations director of Punch Taverns, from the post of presidential post at the conclusion of her two-year term of office.