Legislation

Issue address: the latest Poppleston Allen column looks at security personnel (image: Getty/BitsAndSplits)

LICENSING HUB - LEGAL WITH POPPLESTON ALLEN

Staying secure against rogue security operatives

By Joe Harvey, associate solicitor, ​Poppleston Allen

A man goes to a club and is stopped by the bouncer. “No tie, no entry” he says. The man walks back to his car and desperately searches for the required neckwear.

What's in the news 17 March?

Review of the Week

‘Politics back to normal’

By Ed Bedington

The MA's Ed Bedington caught up with UKHospitality boss Kate Nicholls to get her take on the week's news, which has seen the Spring Budget announced, Ofgem's letter to Government and potential train strike breakthroughs.

Crisis after crisis: Spring Budget did not go far enough to rebalance catastrophic impact of rising costs (credit: Getty/Ales-A)

SPRING BUDGET 2023

Spring Budget 'did not go far enough'

By Rebecca Weller

The measures announced in the Spring Budget “did not go far enough” to “rebalance catastrophic impact” of rising costs across the board, according to trade bodies from across the sector.

Threat of closure: Lack of energy support for businesses in Budget comes under fire (Getty/ simonkr)

SPRING BUDGET 2023

Axed energy support may cause mass closures

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Music Venue Trust (MVT) has warned the Government’s failure to extend the business energy relief scheme in yesterday’s Spring Budget would lead to mass venue closures.

Deep disappointment: Drinks companies react to the Spring Budget (Getty/ andresr)

SPRING BUDGET 2023

Duty hike ‘bitter blow’ for drinks firms

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The Chancellor announced wine drinkers would be hit by the biggest single duty rise in almost 50 years at yesterday’s Spring Budget, leaving the sector “deeply disappointed”.

Heart-breaking: late night sector has lost more than 4,000 firms since the start of the pandemic (Credit: Getty/ Flashpop)

Over 4,000 firms lost since start of the pandemic

By Rebecca Weller

The night-time culture economy (NTCE) has lost more than 4,000 businesses since the start of the pandemic and 33,000 jobs, a Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA) report has highlighted.

Budget offers puns but no support

SPRING BUDGET 2023

Sadly, it's not a joke Mr Hunt

By Ed Bedington

“British ale is warm, but the duty on a pint is frozen” were the words uttered by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and the flippancy of his remark sums up the level of care this Government appears to have for the hospitality sector.

Government announcement: the Spring Budget was unveiled by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt (image: Getty/Mahmud013)

SPRING BUDGET 2023

End of energy support will put trade in 'unsustainable predicament'

By Nikkie Thatcher

While the Government has extended its Energy Price Guarantee for households, the Chancellor failed to mention any further support on rocketing utility bills for businesses in the Spring Budget today (Wednesday 15 March).

Calls ignored: business rates were not mentioned in the Spring Budget (Credit:Getty/mammuth)

SPRING BUDGET 2023

Failure to address business rates reform will ‘anger’ sector

By Gary Lloyd

Despite industry-wide calls for reformation to business rates, the Conservative Party’s Spring Budget failed to offer anything new to the under-pressure on-trade, which would “frustrate and anger” the sector.

Spring Budget: There will be no reform to the apprenticeship levy (Getty/ SolStock)

SPRING BUDGET 2023

Spring Budget 2023: No apprenticeship levy reform

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

The Chancellor did not announce a reform to the apprenticeship levy in the Spring Budget today (Wednesday 15 March), despite hospitality claiming it was “holding back investment”.

OFGEM letter: energy regulator finds areas of significant concern (Credit: Getty/ simarik)

Ofgem finds areas of 'significant concern' in business contracts

By Rebecca Weller

Non-compliant energy suppliers must be “held accountable” by the Government and work with businesses to find “pragmatic solutions” to inflated contracts following Ofgem’s letter to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt yesterday (Tuesday 14 March).

Government statement: Chancellor Jeremy Hunt preparing to unveil the Spring Budget (image: Zara Farrar / HM Treasury)

Industry awaits Budget announcement

By Nikkie Thatcher

Operators are waiting to hear what Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has to say in the Spring Budget later today (Wednesday 15 March).

Detailed checks: there can be various licensing aspects to take into consideration when purchasing a closed property (image: Getty/Weera Danwilai)

Licensing hub - legal with Poppleston Allen

The devil is in the licensing detail

By Carl Weston, head of marketing and partner (non-solicitor), Poppleston Allen

This week, the legal experts at Poppleston Allen look at potential licensing issues when taking on a shuttered site.

Verification required: David Inzani says selling to those under age can cause licence suspensions or even revocations

Licensing hub – legal with Poppleston Allen

The woes of age verification

By David Inzani, associate solicitor, Poppleston Allen

I expect I am not alone in being a 35-year-old who still gets ID’d buying alcohol at the supermarket.

Time needed to answer concerns: Scottish Licensed Trade Association managing director Colin Wilkinson

SLTA hits back over DRS claims

By Gary Lloyd

The Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) has called for swift action over its fears for the August introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) because there are still many unanswered questions about its operation and believes small businesses...

Progressing forward: The MP announced the update at the UKH Workforce and Skills conference

Hospitality Strategy marks ‘substantial progress’

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

An update on Government’s Hospitality Strategy unveiled yesterday (1 March), has revealed “substantial progress” has been made in the sector’s recovery, according to UKHospitality (UKH).

Make or break moment: BBPA urges calls for 'sustainable plan for growth' (Credit: Getty/mikedabell)

BBPA warns 2,000 pubs at risk of closure

By Rebecca Weller

Some two-thousand pubs could close without a "plan for sustainable growth" in the Chancellor's Spring Budget later this month, the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has stated.

Sector reaction: trade bodies have responded to the new deal announcement (image: Getty/Henrik Sorensen)

New NI trade deal ‘encouraging’

By Nikkie Thatcher

The new Windsor Framework has been welcomed by a number of trade bodies, alongside hopes it will deliver clarity for businesses in Northern Ireland.

Hope on the horizon: fall in food inflation an ‘encouraging reminder’ (credit: Getty/Solstock)

Foodservice inflation in first fall since 2021

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Foodservice price inflation dropped to 22% in January in an “encouraging” start for hospitality, but challenges persist, the new edition of the CGA Prestige Foodservice Price Index has revealed.

Eco-friendly scheme: demand is clear for more time is needed to prepare for DRS (credit: Getty/Peter Blottman Photography)

Scottish trade bodies demands answers over DRS

By Gary Lloyd

Trade bodies have demanded clarity over the implementation of the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) after Circularity Scotland announced £22m would be made available to support drinks producers.

Hard hit: Officials call for support for independent businesses (Getty/ gilaxia)

Gov has ‘failed’ cultural sector

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Independent businesses and culture are most at risk according to the second NTIA Night Time Economy Report, and officials claim Government has “failed” the sector.

Energy scandal: Pubs, charities and schools have all claimed they've been targeted by brokers

Pub part of £2bn claim against energy firms

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

A pub is among millions of businesses lawyers say could be entitled to compensation from energy giants over secret commissions paid to third-party brokers allegedly inflated customer bills by billions of pounds.

Data dive: there has been a rise from 280 insolvencies to 512 according the information from UHY Hacker (image: Getty/Olivier Le Moal)

Number of pubs going bust soars

By Nikkie Thatcher

Pub and bar insolvencies have risen by more than three quarters (83%) in the past year, new research has revealed.

GDP figures: sector suffering despite narrowly avoided recession (Credit: Getty/atiatiati)

Hospitality is suffering impact of recession

By Gary Lloyd

The hospitality sector is suffering despite official figures showing the UK narrowly avoided falling into recession in 2022, the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has stated.

Night trouble: Communication is key in resolving noise complaints (Getty/fotoVoyager)

Why are noise complaints shutting down music venues?

By Amelie Maurice-Jones

“No one should have to go what we went through,” says Kwame Otiende. The licensee had to cash out more than £15,000 on legal fees, acoustic tests, sound proofing and construction after his pub – the Jago, Hackney – was slapped with a noise abatement notice...

New focus: sector welcomes Gov reshuffle (Credit: Getty/Robert Ingelhart)

Sector welcomes Gov reshuffle

By Rebecca Weller

The hospitality sector has welcomed the creation of a new Government department to focus on energy security.

Spotlight

(credit: Getty/ViewApart) Experts give comment for the Beer Report 2024 The Morning Advertiser's Lock In podcast episode 78 Making the most of your ghost Competition kicked off: entry for the 2024 Great British Pub Awards is now open Hunt is under way for the Great British Pub of the Year

Property of the week

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Busy location on coastal main road Extensively renovated detached public house Five trade areas (100)  Sizeable refurbished 4-5 bedroom accommodation Newly created beer garden (125) Established and popular business...

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