'We can't survive this': Landlord warns soaring taxes will threaten Derby's status as 'Capital of Real Ale'

Alan Pickersgill, who runs the Brunswick Inn, said the future of several pubs across Derby was looking bleak with landlords anxiously counting costs following the Budget.

And when questioned about the future of his own pub – one of the city’s most popular drinking spots – the landlord declined to comment. 

Mr Pickersgill said he currently pays almost £7,000 per year on business rates for the Railway Terrace pub. 

But he claimed that in a couple years time his bill is forecast to sky rocket to more than £13,000 per year – almost double to what he pays now.

A large majority of UK pubs will face higher business rates from next year, industry bosses have warned. 

This is because their rateable value could increase next year, which will then be used to calculate business rates. 

But the Labour Government has said it was “protecting pubs restaurants and cafés with the Budget’s £4.3 billion support package”.

In addition, it was cutting licensing costs to “help more venues offer pavement drinks and put on one-off events”.

Even though Mr Pickersgill was silent on the Brunswick Inn’s future, he said other city landlords had indicated to him they were close to breaking point. 

He said: “There will be an increase in the number of pubs that will shut their doors for good in the next 12 months. There is bound to be. 

“I know people who are saying ‘this is it now’. If money is tight in the economy then consumers have less money to spend.

“All The Good Beer Guide pubs in Derby are going to be paying more business rates than they currently do now or did at the last General Election.”

The pub industry has been struggling for some time with supermarket pricing and the coronavirus pandemic influencing a change in people’s drinking habits. 

This has led to a wide number of pub closures in Derby and Derbyshire over recent years.

But Mr Pickersgill said any more pub closures would be a huge blow for Derby, which he said was “the capital of real ale”. 

“As far as I am concerned pubs are the life and soul of the community,” he added. 

“There are very few community centres left. Pubs are the places where people socialise. The pub is not just for Christmas, it is for life.” 

But a Government spokesperson said its support package was helping pubs cut future bill hikes.

An HM Treasury spokesperson said: “We’re protecting pubs, restaurants and cafés with the Budget’s £4.3 billion support package. 

“Without this support, pubs would face a 45% increase in the total bills they pay next year. Because of the support we’ve put in place, we’ve got that down to just 4%. 

“This comes on top of our efforts to ease licensing to help more venues offer pavement drinks and put on one-off events, maintaining our cut to alcohol duty on draught pints, and capping Corporation Tax.”