Budget 2017: Oakman Inns boss ‘outraged' by ‘lack of financial common sense'

Peter Borg-Neal, CEO of the 18-strong Oakman Inns, has launched a blistering attack on the chancellor's Budget, expressing his outrage at a "lack of basic financial common sense".

The comments came as Philip Hammond yesterday announced that 90% of all pubs would receive a £1,000 discount on their business rate bills.

Hammond also pledged that other companies that face losing the small business rate relief will not see their business rates bill increase by more than £50 per month.

But Borg-Neal said the relief was nowhere near enough for a company like his.

"While the sector-specific reliefs announced by the chancellor will bring some small benefit to thousands of pubs it will be of little use to Oakman Inns," he said.

"Specifically, it means that the proposed pre-budget 45% increase in costs, becomes an increase of somewhere between 43 and 44% which is, by any measure, simply unjustifiable.

"This ‘relief' does nothing to lessen the impact of this ridiculous and unfair system. The result of the increase in business rates will inevitably reduce our profits and, consequently, our ability to raise further investment funds through bank debt."

Borg-Neal said that the government's decision would have an immediate impact on his business and would result in the opening of two fewer pubs in the coming financial year than originally planned.

He added that found a decision to delay a root and brand review of the business rates system "deeply disappointing".

"The chancellor’s refusal to adequately address the issue might have some merit if it was fair. However, this unreformed and archaic system of property taxation doesn’t impact on the bottom-line of online traders such as Amazon and even financially benefits companies such as Sports Direct, whose working practices are considerably more “robust” than our own and are unlikely to earn any recognition of their efforts towards better employment.

"I set up Oakman Inns with my first pub in Tring in 2007, and we now run a group of 18 sites. We are a quality employer and have been recently ranked 8th in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For. Our premises are of high quality, and our average development cost is well over £1m. It seems we are being punished for our approach to business. A shop next door to mine in identical site but with lower sales, less employees, less overall costs, less contribution to the community and roughly the same profits will be charged much less.

"Even within our own industry, I feel that Oakman is being punished for investing more money, creating more jobs, training more staff to have good careers and trying to support the communities we serve. Because we have worked hard to modernise the old concepts of the old-fashioned boozer or some high-street bars who have lower sales and much lower costs, we are paying the price. This ridiculous, regressive tax encourages the wrong type of business and we are disappointed and outraged by this lack of basic financial common-sense.”

Budget 2017: Business rate relief announced in spring budget >>

Budget 2017: alcohol duty rise could dampen consumer spending >>

Are you looking for a new role? See all the current hospitality vacancies available with The Caterer Jobs