The landlady of a pub in Derbyshire has slammed the government for a lack of support as she reveals her business rates are going up 66 per cent.
In the Derbyshire Dales, The Barley Mow pub plays a vital role in keeping the village of Bonsall connected.
A 2024 YouGov poll revealed 80 per cent of people believe their local pub is important in bringing people together, and when she’s not pulling pints, dishing up an award-winning pie, or recording her podcast about the history of pubs, landlady Colette Dewhurst is serving her community.
She told GB News: “Pubs are the last remaining social infrastructure that we’ve got in this country.
“Since 2010 especially, the social care cuts have meant bus routes have been cut, local TV has gone, local radio has gone, and a lot of local shops like the post office, the banks and things like that — the last lifeline.
“You tend to live longer in a village, so we do have quite a few widowed people that rely on here for their day-to-day interaction and just somewhere that they can come and still feel like they’re part of a family.”
Across the country, thousands of pubs are facing unaffordable bills. In the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor announced businesses would not receive the same rate relief.
Colette says support needs to come sooner rather than later.
A landlady has told GB News support needs to arrive soon
|
GB NEWS
She said: “I was looking at the rates increase — ours has actually gone up 66 per cent.
“You’ve got a limited amount of space, and you’ve got to cover your overheads in order to even open the door.
“We’re a tiny little pub, so you get to the point where you’ve either got to keep passing on the increase in the cost of your goods to your customers — to the point where they can’t come anymore because everybody’s feeling it in the purse as well — or you can choose to work 100 hours a week rather than 90, have a heart attack and hope some will come see you when you’re in hospital, because they’re the sort of cuts we’re making since Covid.
“I think we need to stop having all these cross-parliamentary commissions in London. Everybody knows what the problems are. They have these meetings and nothing ever gets done.
Punters are worried about what new taxes could mean for their local
|
GB NEWS
“We need viable solutions.”
As Colette’s regulars tell us, this pub is a lifeline for the village, whether it’s tackling loneliness or just providing a night out with friends.
Local resident Peter Hopkinson said: “You just need pubs to keep the community together. That’s the big element to it.”
Another frequent customer, David Richards, said: “They’ve got no idea — they’re not in the real world, really.
“Small villages, even towns and cities need them. What would we do? Where would we go? We’ve got no bus service.”
A Treasury spokesperson said: “With Covid support ending and valuations rising, some firms may face higher costs — so we have also stepped in to cap bills and help businesses as part of a £4.3 billion support package.”
Many pubs are under threat
|
GB NEWS