A breath of fresh air

A smoke-free pub was the destination for the final Plan for the Ban roadshow, and there was plenty of advice on offer. John Harrington reports

With the smoking ban already in place in Wales and set to hit England in just over 10 weeks' time, what better location for the final Plan for the Ban roadshow than a pub that's already chosen to ditch the weed?

Smoking was banned inside the George, a Greene King tenancy in Hadleigh, near Ipswich in Suffolk, last month. Licensee Paul Harman discussed his experiences of going smoke-free and described how he has changed the focus of his business.

Other speakers at the event were:

l Phil Arnold, operations planning manager, Greene King Pub Partners

l Edwin Hamilton, National Quiz

l Brian Taylor, director, Crown Awnings

l Beelin Baxter, Department of Health

l John Rainer, food and safety regulation manager, Babergh District Council

Top tips were also available from the Plan for the Ban team. The MA has picked out another six points for licensees to consider:

1 Kit out your customers

Even if you have outdoor structures in place, licensees should consider other ways to protect customers from the elements when they go outside to smoke. "Think about simple ideas like having umbrellas and wellies at the front door to help them in the rain," said Arnold. "It may sound crazy, but it works."

2 Market your pub - before and after the ban

Arnold advises pubs to continue advertising what's on offer even after the big stub-out. He said: "July and August are easier months to get people out so it might not be until September that people think, 'oh yes, there's a ban on' - so keep the message going." Telling people about the pub's good-quality outdoor facilities can allow them to target "displaced" smokers from neighbouring outlets, Arnold added. Hamilton said hosts should get in touch with newspapers in the area and let them know their plans. "The local press do want news, and allying themselves to pubs is a very positive story for them. The pub can get a lot of free advertising as well," he said.

3 Don't expect conflict

Arnold rejected claims that aggressive scenes could be common once the smoking ban kicks in, with customers annoyed at being told to stub-out. "In Belhaven (Greene King's Scottish pub estate) we've had two instances of customers being slightly aggressive at being told not to smoke. That's a very small percentage and we hope it will be reflected in this country."

4 Make it an experience

"When people talk about going down the pub they don't necessarily talk about the beer temperature," said Hamilton. "It's about the whole experience of going to a pub." He pointed to the example of the Crown Inn in Telford, Shropshire, which was named freehouse of the year in the East & West Midlands at this year's MA Pub Awards. The pub hosts a staggering 250 events a year, from celebrations of American Independence Day to beer tastings and music nights. It also stages what is claimed to be the world's biggest pub-based, hand-pulled beer festival, attracting more than 2,000 fans. "There was always something going on," said Hamilton. "Just by doing simple things well they are creating this experience."

5 Check planning permission

Crown Awnings has compiled a list of 15 questions regarding smoking shelters - if you answer 'no' to all of them, it is likely that you will not need planning permission for your shelter. However, Crown says licensees must check with their local council. The 15 questions are:

1) Is the building listed?

2) Is it in a Conservation Area, a Site of Special Scientific Interest or a Heritage site?

3) Is the proposed area overlooked by windows of nearby occupied buildings?

4) Will it take up any car-parking places?

5) Is it likely to increase foot and road traffic?

6) Is it likely to increase noise?

7) Can the area be seen by passing road traffic?

8) Will there be any increase in light pollution?

9) Will it block or partially block anyone else's natural light?

10) Will it cause access problems that could result in injury?

11) Will it allow people to congregate in an area that should be a fire escape?

12) Will it be less than one metre away from any wall or building?

13) Will it cover more than 75% of your available outdoor area?

14) Will it be more than four metres high?

15) Will it materially change the aesthetics of the area?

6 Get planning permission for smoking shelters - but don't be complacent

"Don't confuse planning advice with what's acceptable from the point of view of the smoke-free legislation," said Rainer. "They are two different things. We may get applications that the planning department are perfectly happy with." He added: "It's very important that you do approach us from the outset and have a very clear idea of what you want to do from the outset. A planner has to have something to go on - have an idea of roof size and the area of the structure you hope to put up."

Inspiring changes at the george

Harman explained the thought process behind alterations made at the George. "It's an old building so we wanted to keep the character. We wanted to do something for more than just smokers."

Umbrellas have been attached to the patio outside at the back. The licensee spent £7,500 on outside structures, £4,800 on changes to the decor inside, and £9,000 on new furniture inside and out. Greene King spent a total of £15,000 on the project, which included work in the garden and the cellar, resulting in an extra £39 a week on the pub's rent. "I didn't want my rent to be sky-high so I shopped around," said Harman.

The original plan was to have a slanted patiola but Harman believed this would need planning permission at a listed building like the George.

The licensee joined the MA's tour of Ireland last September and this provided inspiration. "One piece of advice that came from Ireland was: instead of going cheap, go for a good menu. We upped the pricing a little and re-did the menu." Main courses vary from around £7 to £12, with pub favourites on offer. The George

re-opened as a smoke-free venue after being shut for four days. "We spent a lot of time talking to customers, making them aware of what we are going to do and when we are going to do it," said Harman. "We don't want them to think we were chucking them out in the cold - hence the outside [facilities]." He said the ban had "made no difference to trade at all".