Property law

Don't panic - industry reaction to interest rate increase

20-Nov-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Concern may have been expressed in the trade about this month’s rise in interest rates, but while licensees would be advised to check their finances, the consensus is there should be little in the move to worry publicans

13th-century pub reopens in Potters Bar after £250,000 refurb

10-Nov-2017 By Claire Churchard

Redcomb Pubs has reopened the Old Manor in Potters Bar after a major £250,000 renovation and refurbishment.

Durham pub reopens after £100,000 refurbishment by Admiral Taverns

09-Nov-2017 By Claire Churchard

The Brawns Den in County Durham is due to reopen this week (5pm, 10 November) following a £100,000 investment and refurbishment by Admiral Taverns.

State of affairs: The cost of dilapidation

06-Nov-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Licensees need to be aware of the potentially huge costs of dilapidations but, if maintenance and upkeep of a site is taken care of regularly, there should be little reason to be overly concerned

Shropshire village pledges £90,000 to save 250-year-old pub

03-Nov-2017 By Stuart Stone

Residents from the Ash Villages area near Whitchurch, north Shropshire, are hoping to buy the White Lion pub to keep it from closing its doors.

What does the interest rates rise mean for pubs?

02-Nov-2017 By Stuart Stone

For the first time since July 2007 the government has increased interest rates. Here’s how the decision could affect the average British pub.

Stonegate invests £250,000 to revamp Cheshire Cheese pub

26-Oct-2017 By Fred A'Court

A £250,000 refurbishment has given the Cheshire Cheese near Tower Hill in London a new lease of life, with updated decor, new fittings and the latest technology for screening sports TV while rich wood furniture surroundings and mirrors retain the traditional...

Deputy pubs code adjudicator appointed by the Government

24-Oct-2017 By Fred A'Court

Barrister Fiona Dickie has been appointed deputy pubs code adjudicator (DPCA) to support Paul Newby in enforcing the pubs code.

Closed Bridgwater pub reborn after £200,000 investment

24-Oct-2017 By Fred A'Court

A once defunct pub is set to open as a bar and restaurant after a long-term makeover.

Eight London pubs for sale in £70m portfolio

24-Oct-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

A glut of London pubs in desirable areas of the city have been placed on the market as part of a portfolio worth £69.5m.

‘Bitten off more than they can chew,’ warns landlady of liquidated pub

23-Oct-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

The former landlady of a Bristol pub that was forced to close after its parent company went into liquidation has warned that any attempt to redevelop the site will not be tolerated.

£1.5m Alchemist site to open in Oxford

23-Oct-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Bar and restaurant group The Alchemist has pumped £1.5m into the opening of a new shopping centre bar in Oxford, creating 75 new jobs.

Property: Average free of tie leases up as much as 22%

23-Oct-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Rising rents, signs the London market has reached a tipping point, and the effects of Brexit, the national living wage and the new rating system are all covered in Fleurets’ annual rental survey.

Future of ACV pub unknown after mysterious closure

23-Oct-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Bristol pub, the Three Crowns in St George, has mysteriously shut up shop after almost 190 years of trading, despite community support to keep it open.

York pub earmarked for demolition gets ACV reprieve

13-Oct-2017 By Helen Gilbert

A Yorkshire pub that looked set to be demolished and replaced with a luxury care home could be saved after an anonymous bidder expressed an interest in buying the premises.

Property advice: Give lease a chance

09-Oct-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Lease renewals are a vital part of a publican’s business development, but procedures under the Landlord and Tenant Act are fraught with potential problems and shouldn’t be embarked on without the benefit of professional advice.

Spotlight: When is MRO not MRO?

09-Oct-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Controversy has stalked the pubs code at every stage. But one of the most confusing elements is licensees’ access to the market-rent-only (MRO) option. Here, we look at how this part of the legislation is progressing, or not, in some cases.

Pub properties: done deals and on the market

06-Oct-2017 By MA Editorial

The month's property done deals include pubs in West Sussex and Windsor. Pubs on the market are in Worcestershire and Essex.

Former Ei pub could be replaced by 33 homes

05-Oct-2017 By Helen Gilbert

A former Enterprise Inns pub could be demolished and replaced by housing if planning permission is granted next week.

Which is best, a tenancy or a lease?

29-Sep-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Your knowledge of the pub business and how much money you have to spend are key factors in deciding whether you come into the trade on a tenancy, lease or a freehold. It is crucial to get it right first time

Pub refurbishments: Five of the best

20-Sep-2017 By Michelle Perrett

The Morning Advertiser shows you five of the best refurbishments which have hit £3M in overall investment.

Pub staff 'gutted' after Newcastle site sold to developers

20-Sep-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Pub staff in shock after being told their site, owned by Trust Inns, has been sold to developers.

New World Trading Company announces latest concept

18-Sep-2017 By Georgina Townshend

New World Trading Company (NWTC), known for its Botanist bars, is set to open a brand new concept in Bristol.

Licensees' 'unrealistic assumptions' of property prices

14-Sep-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Property valuers believe licensees think their pubs are worth more than they actually are, the market is less buoyant than a year ago and almost all say leasehold prices will not increase in the coming 12 months.

JD Wetherspoon turns to planning inspectorate over Leeds planning application saga

11-Sep-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Negotiations for a new JD Wetherspoon (JDW) site in Leeds have turned sour after council members deferred the pubco’s planning application for a third time in a year

Liverpool's first micropub is put on the market

08-Sep-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Award-winning one-room Merseyside pub up for sale.

Community Pubs Minister praises Pub is The Hub for helping North Yorkshire local

05-Sep-2017 By Georgina Townshend

A Yorkshire pub that has opened a village shop and a bakery in its bar, thanks to Pub is The Hub, has been hailed by Jake Berry MP because it has enabled him to buy an Italian aubergine – "possibly one of the most unusual items to be found in a pub...

Rogue agents: advice on avoiding cowboy agents when buying and selling pubs

05-Sep-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Buying and selling a pub is a big move for anyone, so heed the advice from property experts and make sure you avoid cowboy agents.

Admiral sold to Magners cider maker and partner

04-Sep-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Magners producer C&C Group, along with US investor Proprium Capital Partners, is to acquire the 845-strong pubco Admiral Taverns.

Raymond Blanc's latest pub plans refused

04-Sep-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

Raymond Blanc’s White Brasserie Company has had development plans for the historic King's Head pub in Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire, refused by the local council.

Celebrity’s historic research could save inter-war pub from demolition

31-Aug-2017 By Fred A'Court

A 1930s Somerset pub that has been closed since last year is being considered for Grade II listing following last-minute research by campaigners and the parish council that could save it from demolition.

Historic Punch Tavern pub in Fleet Street sold

30-Aug-2017 By Fred A'Court

One of central London’s historic landmark pubs, The Punch Tavern, has been sold to Urban Pubs & Bars in an ‘off market’ deal.

Dorset village pub to open after long closure

30-Aug-2017 By Fred A'Court

Traditional village pubs are here to stay and can still bring great rewards providing owners adapt to changing consumer needs, according to property specialist Christie & Co.

Tis not too late to seek a newer world - Alfred Tennyson pub reopens

29-Aug-2017 By Fred A'Court

News that the Alfred Tennyson pub in London’s Belgravia is set to reopen after extensive refurbishment will be pure poetry to locals and visitors.

Patron completes £1.8bn deal to buy 3,200 Punch pubs

25-Aug-2017 By Claire Churchard

Investment firm Patron Capital has completed its £1.8bn acquisition of 3,200 Punch pubs and has announced that the second part of the deal, to sell 1,900 of these pubs to Heineken, will complete next week.

PCA to confront pub owning businesses over MRO blocking

23-Aug-2017 By Claire Churchard

Pub-owning businesses (POBs) are blocking tied tenants’ access to the market rent only option (MRO) and going against the spirit of the pubs code, according to a report commissioned by the pubs code adjudicator’s office.

Work to rebuild 'historic' Carlton Tavern begins

17-Aug-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Work has started on a historic pub that Westminster City Council demanded must be “rebuilt brick by brick” after it was illegally knocked down.

Britain's highest pub is for sale: 19 things to know about the Tan Hill Inn

03-Aug-2017 By Fred A'Court

One of the most famous pubs in Britain, the Tan Hill Inn in North Yorkshire, is on sale for £900,000. Landlady Louise Peace tells Fred A’Court what is wonderful, weird, wacky, well known and not so well known about it.

CVS calls for Government to publish rates relief payment schedule for pubs

24-Jul-2017 By Fred A'Court

The Government should publish a timetable on when pubs will get £25m worth of rates relief, a leading business rates and rents specialist firm has said.

Special feature: The lessons of Upton Park

20-Jul-2017 By Roger Protz

East End pubs around the Boleyn Ground in Upton Park, lived and died by their claret and blue credentials, so it’s little wonder a year after West Ham upped sticks and moved to Stratford that some have already put the shutters up.

Free and easy: pros and cons of free-of tie leased pubs

10-Jul-2017 By Michelle Perrett

The free-of-tie leased pub with the potential to buy at the end of the lease, is a deal gaining popularity across the country.

Bison Arms plans dropped despite raising £150,000 via crowdfunding

06-Jul-2017 By Fred A'Court

Campaigners trying to set up a new pub in Brighton have admitted defeat despite raising £150,000 through crowdfunding, attracting the support of local MP Caroline Lucas and gaining the backing of the lease-holding brewery.

Fifteen-year fight to reopen Walnut Tree pub succeeds

05-Jul-2017 By Fred A'Court

One of the UK’s longest-running battles to reopen a defunct village pub has finally succeeded.

Hippo Inns grows portfolio to 10 sites after £400,000 refurb

04-Jul-2017 By Claire Churchard

Pub group Hippo Inns will open its 10th pub next week after spending £400,000 to significantly refurbish the 2,927sq ft site in Twickenham.

What can publicans do if squatters come calling?

23-Jun-2017 By Fred A'Court

What can a pub do if travellers or squatters simply turn up and camp outside the premises? Any unlawful occupation can be distressing and stressful, but under common law the land owner has a right to evict people to regain possession.

London Bridge pubs to receive 'discretionary' rates relief

20-Jun-2017 By Georgina Townshend

Pubs affected by the police cordon that closed a large area of London Bridge and Borough Market following the terror attack on 3 June are being offered business rates relief from Southwark Council.

CMA finds Heineken-Punch deal ‘reduces competition in 33 areas’

13-Jun-2017 By Claire Churchard

Heineken’s proposed acquisition of 1,900 Punch pubs “could reduce competition in 33 areas across Britain”, according to an initial investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

What's in a name? The stories behind pub monikers

12-Jun-2017 By Claire Churchard

Pub names are part of the social fabric of Britain. But have you ever wondered why your local is called what it is or why its name may have changed over the years? Here, we take a look at the stories behind the names