Scottish pubs closing at twice the rate of those in England

Scotland's pubs and bars are closing in "record numbers", according to the Scottish Beer & Pub Association (SBPA) and the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA).

Scotland saw 76 pub closures in Q1 to Q3 of this year, compared to 56 in 2022. This has resulted in permanent closures in the sector accelerating at double the rate in Scotland (1.7%) than in England (0.75%).

To help reduce the number of closures, the industry bodies are calling on the Scottish Government to pass on funding for their sector following chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement which will see English businesses receive a 75% reduction in rates bills in the financial year 2024-25.

Pubs elsewhere in the UK benefitted from the reduction last year, however the Scottish Government chose not to pass on the reduction.

In a joint statement, the SBPA and SLTA said the failure to pass on rates relief last year was a “devastating blow for Scotland’s pubs and bars” and added permanent closures are more than one-third higher than last year and double the closure rates across the UK.

The statement went on to say that many pubs are “still saddled with debt incurred during the pandemic” and are unable to recover with the additional burden of high energy prices and impacts to the supply chain. It added that next year, with the minimum wage increase, many more will struggle.

The statement concluded: “The rates relief in England will help businesses there with this increased cost, but unless the Scottish Government passes on the support, pubs and bars north of the border will be left to entirely fend for themselves and the rate of closures will only increase.

“The Scottish Government must ensure that the rates relief is passed on in full or it will cement further closures in the sector, directly resulting in job losses and blows for communities across the country.”