Number of firms going bust eases but remains historically high
More than 1,600 accommodation and food service companies including pubs collapsed in the six months to June 2026, new research has found.
Property Law
Gov confirms 12-month test for pub conversions
New planning policy has confirmed pubs at risk of conversion will need to be marketed for their existing use for at least 12 months where commercial viability is cited.
Pub protections ‘fantastic news’ but costs still pushing venues out
Turning pubs into homes or offices is set to be made harder under changes to planning policy in England.
City pub launches ACV bid ‘to protect it for future generations’
A south east city’s only community-owned pub on a housing estate has launched an asset of community value (ACV) application and campaign to raise money to buy the freehold.
Lidl opens the doors to first pub
Supermarket giant Lidl has officially opened the doors to its first pub.
Night-time economy bears brunt of closures as sector continues to contract
The nation’s late-night industry is continuing to shrink amid rising costs and changing consumer habits, new research has found.
UK has highest property tax of any major economy
The UK ranks first across the globe for property taxes as a share of gross domestic product (GDP), second for total property tax revenues and among the highest for property taxes, analysis has found.
Data reveals stark divides in pub closures across constituencies
As the votes are counted for this year’s local elections, The Morning Advertiser (The MA) has looked at the constituencies with the highest pub closures rate.
ANALYSIS: More than 16,000 pubs lost since 2000
The on-trade has lost 16,150 pubs since the start of the millennium, analysis of trade body data by The Morning Advertiser has found.
‘Sheer weight of taxes’ resulted in 2 pubs a day closing in first quarter of 2026
Some 161 pubs closed in the first three months of the year, new figures found.
ANALYSIS
Closure hotspots: Where pubs are disappearing fastest in England
The East Midlands saw the most pub closures in England last year, analysis of data by The Morning Advertiser (The MA) has revealed.
Number of licensed premises plummets by more than 300
The first quarter of 2026 saw the number of licensed premises drop by 0.3%, according to new research.
‘Broken business rates system continues to plague Scottish hospitality firms’
Pubs and hotels in Scotland are routinely valued higher than their English counterparts, with valuations as much as £16,000 higher, new analysis has found.
Insolvencies up compared to December but down year-on-year
Insolvencies in the accommodation and food services sector rose 9% month-on-month to 223 in January 2026.
Business rates overhaul: What the relief will mean for pubs
In light of the recent Government announcement about business rates, The Morning Advertiser has looked at what it means for pubs in England.
What does 2026 hold for the pub property market?
The pub property market is heading into 2026 leaner, more polarised and increasingly unforgiving for operators without a clear offer, according to leading agents.
Gov remains tight-lipped on business rate U-turn details
The sector is still awaiting further information of possible changes to business rates, two weeks since it was first reported.
Reports of Gov U-turn on business rates ‘potentially huge win for pubs’
The Government is expected to reveal a U-turn on hikes to business rates.
Middleton Lodge Estate acquires The Black Bull pub in Moulton
North Yorkshire’s Middleton Lodge Estate has acquired The Black Bull in the village of Moulton from local pub operator Provenance Group.
Why the 2026 revaluation risks making Christmas 2025 the last for many pubs
Few sectors have worked harder than pubs to rebuild trade since the pandemic.
Hospitality insolvencies level off as firms cling on for Xmas trade
The number of insolvencies in hospitality were flat month on month for September this year.
‘Pub closures cause incalculable damage to social cohesion’
Almost seven in 10 (67%) of Brits see pubs as vital for tackling loneliness and social isolation, new research has found.
500 large premises face closure risk from business rates surcharge
Hundreds of large hospitality and retail premises would be put at risk of closure if the Government’s proposed business rates surcharge is implemented, trade bodies have warned.
11 licensed premises closures a week ‘shows very difficult trading environment’
The number of licensed venues fell by 0.6% in the past year, new data has found.
Wet-led focused multi operators expand to 10 sites
Community pub operators Simon Woodcock and Richard Hepplestone have hit 10 sites after taking on a lease with Star on a pub near Pontefract, West Yorkshire.
‘Shocking closure figures direct result of incredible pressure on pubs’
A number of industry voices have raised concerns after new figures found eight pubs a week are vanishing.
8 pubs a week vanishing for good ‘absolutely heart-breaking’
The number of pubs in England and Wales, including those vacant and to let, has dropped to 38,780, new data has found.
Online ‘toast’ marks two year anniversary of Crooked House destruction
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and #ToastToTheCrookedHouse campaign have called for people across the world to toast the Crooked House and ‘break the internet’.
Number of late-night venues ‘holds steady’
While the number of late-night licensed premises is down by 25.1% since 2020, figures are up by 2% in the 12 months to 30 March 2025.
‘Rapid rising costs’ result in community pub closure
A town pub has shut its doors due to a plethora of ‘rapid rising costs’.
Ye Olde Swiss Cottage protected from demolition for five years
The historic Ye Olde Swiss Cottage pub in north London has been granted Asset of Community Value (ACV) status.
Campaigners frustrated with delays to ‘justice’ for Crooked House pub
Campaigners have vented their anger after a bid to rebuild the Crooked House pub was delayed some 18 months after it was torched.
Pub numbers rise but fears remain over increasing costs
Community, food and high street pub numbers have remained resilient over the past quarter, the new Hospitality Market Monitor from CGA by NIQ and AlixPartners has shown.
Business rates: UKH calls for maximum discount
Trade association UKHospitality (UKH) has called for the maximum discount to be applied to hospitality properties with a rateable value of less than £500,000.
Jeremy Clarkson hits headlines about pub car park planning
TV celebrity Jeremy Clarkson is awaiting a response from West Oxfordshire District Council on whether he can extend the car parking facilities at his pub the Farmer’s Dog in Burford, Oxfordshire.
PROPERTY-ROUND-UP
Greene King opens first Nest Pub in Scotland
This week’s property round-up includes mentions from Nest Pubs, Punch pubs, NEOS hospitality and more.
Average biz rates for pubs to climb 140% in matter of days
From Tuesday 1 April, business rates relief will be slashed from 75% to 40%.
What are the trends in the property market?
Polarisation, demand outside of large cities and fallout from the autumn Budget are just three of the trends the property market is likely to see over the course of 2025, experts have told The Morning Advertiser.
PROPERTY-ROUND-UP
The European opens in Leyton after £350,000 refurbishment
This week’s round-up includes mentions from Remarkable Pubs, Proper Pubs, JD Wetherspoon and more.
City pub warns cost pressures ‘crippling community venues’ following closure
A Liverpool pub has been forced to close due to the “crippling” effects of the cost-of-living-crisis, warning “we are not the first to go and, without change, we won’t be the last”.
PROPERTY-ROUND-UP
Northumberland pub reopens after £420,000 refurbishment
This week’s property round-up includes mentions from Greene King, MA Pub Group, The Counting House, Freight Island and more.
PROPERTY-ROUND-UP
Riverside pub receives £300k refurbishment
This week’s property round-up includes mentions from Shepherd Neame, Punch Pubs, the Stable and more.
Shepherd Neame injects £300k into new site
Kent-based brewer and pub operator Shepherd Neame has invested a total of £300,000 into its riverside pub the Britannia.
Boxpark Shoreditch lease extended until September 2025
Boxpark’s new flagship Shoreditch location will remain open until the end of September 2025
Samuel Smith site closes after two centuries
It has been widely reported that the well-known Ye Olde Swiss Cottage, located in north London, closed its doors on Saturday (1 February) following up to 200 years of trading.
Nightcap ‘couldn’t be happier' to welcome city attraction to estate
Multiple operator Nightcap has acquired Brighton’s i360 tower.
PROPERTY-ROUND-UP
St Austell takes on ‘iconic’ Cornish pub
This week’s property round-up includes mentions from St Austell Brewery, NQ64, Merchant Pub and Bars and more.
NEOS Hospitality acquires 19th site in Bournemouth
This weeks round up includes mentions from NEOS hospitality, Hyde’s Brewery, JDW and more.
Top 50 Gastropub operator announces expansion
Paul and Emma Ainsworth have taken on a Cornwall boutique hotel.
Joule’s Brewery announces ‘biggest investment in a taphouse to date’
The Market Drayton-based brewery, has announced new plans for a major investment in the New Inn, Harborne.