York pubs going under

FRESH fears have been raised over the future of pubs in our region, as landlords struggle to cope with the impact of the recession, competition and changes to the law.

A new Parliamentary report shows there are 40 fewer pubs in York and North Yorkshire than four years ago, and a leading commercial estate agent today said he had noticed a marked increase in the number being put up for sale.

The smoking ban, rising beer prices and bargain basement supermarkets have all been cited as reasons behind the rise.

York’s longest-serving landlady, Dee Ralph, of the Bay Horse, in Blossom Street, is among those feeling the strain. She said the cancellation of last year’s Ebor Festival at York Races had cost her thousands in lost revenue, sending her into arrears on her rent.

Her pub’s owners, Enterprise Inns, was likely to repossess the pub within weeks, ending her 26-year tenure. “The community pub is going to go,” she said. “By the end of April, I think we will find six others here gone.”

The Cock And Bottle in Skeldergate, York, became the latest city pub to shut, when it closed its doors earlier this month.

The leaseholds at a raft of others around the city are also up for sale, including Mrs Ralph’s Bay Horse.

Others include the Rose And Crown, in Lawrence Street; the Golden Ball, in Cromwell Road; the Snickleway, in Goodramgate; the Volunteer Arms, in Watson Street; the Cygnet, in Price Street; the Fossway, in Huntington Road; and the Bay Horse, in Fulford.

Estate agent Barry Crux, who is selling all those, said: “There have probably been more on the market in the past six months than we normally would have and, of course, our stock has increased because they have not been selling – but then, nothing has been.”

He blamed the lack of credit available to potential publicans and the rising wholesale cost of beer.




‘They will take it back off me’

VETERAN York landlady Dee Ralph turns 60 today – but the celebrations are likely to be short-lived.

She had a party yesterday with friends and customers, at the pub she has run for nearly half her life. But behind the fun there was disappointment and anxiety.

Dee is likely to soon be facing last orders at the Bay Horse in Blossom Street, after being hit by unaffordable rent, the smoking ban, and a fall in custom.

Dee fell behind on her rent last summer after the four-day Ebor Festival at York Races was cancelled.

The pub was put on the market in the autumn, at about £100,000 and Dee is now awaiting the end.

“Enterprise [the owners] will take it all back off me, for no cost. Everything I have worked for 26 years for will go back to Enterprise.”

She said the loss of trade from local employers in the rail industry, Shepherd’s, Prudential and the Odeon, had hit her in recent years, but she said the “heartless” big pub companies were largely responsible for the closure of pubs. Dee said that, five years ago, the pub had been turning a profit of about £33,000 a year. Last year, she said, there was no profit. The Press contacted Enterprise for comment, but the firm did not respond before we went to print.




Dozens of pubs have shut

DOZENS of pubs in our region and thousands nationwide have closed in the past four years, a new survey has shown.

In February 2009, there were 4,271 fewer pubs in the UK than in June 2005, according to the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group.

Although there have been some new openings, they have been outweighed by widespread closures according to the report, which is broken down by Parliamentary constituency. York has lost two pubs; Selby nine; Vale of York 12; and Ryedale eight. Harrogate and Knaresborough has also lost three, as has Skipton and Ripon, while Scarborough and Whitby has lost five. Only East Yorkshire has shown an upturn, with two more pubs than four years earlier.

The group is chaired by Selby MP John Grogan, right, and it carried out a special examination of his constituency.

It found five new pubs had opened in the district, but 15 had closed and one had changed use, giving a net loss of nine.

Rural areas were particularly badly hit – the number of town pubs rose by five, but rural areas suffered