Budget Day boost needed to save struggling boozers from closure as The Sun on Sunday campaigns to make it happen
The Chancellor Phillip Hammond is being urged to give pub landlords a tax break as 15'000 boozers across the country are now facing an average 19 percent hike in bills
THE Sun on Sunday today calls for struggling pubs to get a Budget Day boost to save them from closure.
Landlords across the nation are backing our campaign for Philip Hammond to give them a tax break when he unveils his spending plans in 17 days.
Pubs are closing at the rate of 23 a week despite three years of beer tax cuts — because of the crippling cost of business rates.
Town centre inns bear the brunt of revaluation which left 15,000 facing an average 19 per cent hike in bills.
In his last Budget, Mr Hammond set up a £300million emergency kitty for councils to hand out discretionary relief to the worst-hit pubs, shops and cafes.
It has helped cap the charge at £600 a year for 16,000 firms facing bills for the first time.
But landlords have dubbed the measure small beer as the fund will run dry at the end of the financial year.
The impact of higher inflation, the plunging value of the Pound and a planned increase in duty could deal a triple blow to many pubs. The Sun on Sunday wants the Chancellor to extend the fund for at least another year.
Brigid Simmonds, of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “It is great to see the Sun on Sunday champion calls for more business rates help.”
Pubs sold 35 million fewer pints between July and September, the worst figures in five years.
A HM Treasury spokesperson said: “Pubs make an important cultural and economic contribution to the UK, and that is why the government is supporting pubs and their customers.
“90 per cent of pubs across the country can benefit from the new business rates relief introduced at Budget 2017, which could save them up to £1,000 a year.
“In addition, both businesses and their customers have saved over £2billion since 2013 thanks to changes to alcohol duty.”
