Last Call for Britain's Pubs?

Between new taxes, a smoking ban and the economic downturn, many towns and cities in the UK may soon lose their local pubs.

2 minute read

April 6, 2009, 11:00 AM PDT

By Michael Dudley


"The public house has always held a unique place at the heart of British life: It's where families would congregate for Christmas Day and Sunday roasts, and where co-workers still can be found many nights, ushered out the door at 11 p.m. with the publican's famous farewell ('time, gentlemen, please') sounding fuzzily in their ears. A thousand years ago, the Domesday Book listed a fine of four shillings for selling poor-quality beer.

It's estimated that 2,000 British pubs will close this year. The first nail in the public house's coffin was, ironically, a measure to prolong life, the 2007 smoking ban. Tenacious owners who survived were then hit with two more mallets. First, the government introduced the beer tax [and] most pub landlords, required to buy beer from the breweries that own them, were faced with a hike in prices, which they passed on to customers.

If the taverns of London and Liverpool and Glasgow are weathering a storm, the forecast is just as glum for their country cousins. A report this week from the Institute for Public Policy Research said the village pub is at risk unless the government offers some relief in the form of tax breaks to landlords or planning protection against redevelopment. The demise of the town watering hole, the report says, will have 'a serious impact on the quality of local community life.' Many English villages are losing not just pubs but essential services - shops, post offices, schools and churches."

Saturday, April 4, 2009 in The Globe and Mail

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight