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Rural Pubs
London cries out for help for the village pub...
Survey results released by CAMRA in the run-up to the Great British Beer
Festival demonstrate that the Government's failure to regard rural pubs
as essential community services is out of line with public feeling in
London.
Mike Benner, Head of Campaigns and Communications said, "We have lobbied
the Government to act to help stop the closure of valued village locals
through the introduction of a 50% reduction in business rates, but it
does not agree that pubs are 'necessities of life' like shops and post
offices. Fortunately, a huge majority of the general public believes
that they are and that even includes city folk." Results show that: 78%
of Londoners agree that a rural pub is essential to a rural community;
76% of Londoners agree that a rural pub is as important to a rural
community as a village shop or post office. This overwhelming support
for pubs is not just amongst regular pub goers - 81% of people who
visit pubs less than once a month believe pubs are just as important
as shops and post offices.
Mr. Benner added, "The DETR is clearly out of line with public opinion
on this one. Our results show that public support for rural pubs is
overwhelming across all age groups, social classes and regions. Pubs
are at the heart of communities. They are important meeting places,
important sources of local employment, essential to building strong
communities through sports teams and local events and they are a
controlled place where people of all walks of life can enjoy alcohol. A
system of rate relief currently enjoyed by post offices and shops would
cost very little, be easy to introduce and administer and help make many
struggling pubs more viable before they are lost forever."
Reproduced from the Full Pint, Issue 6.
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