The latest figures from CAMRA show local economies have taken a £100m hit from pub closures in 2023 alone, as consumers call for government action in next week’s Budget.

In the run up to the Budget on 6 March, figures collected by CAMRA’s grassroots campaigners across Great Britain reveal how the loss of pubs is making communities across the country considerably poorer, showing the true value of these community hubs.

CAMRA’s pub closure statistics for 2023 show:
– 194 pubs were lost forever due to conversion or demolition, including venues like the Crooked House in Himley
– A shocking 1,293 pubs closed their doors to their communities.

As the Spring Budget approaches and local authorities struggle to fund services, the true financial impact of pub closures is made stark as 2023 losses are counted.

Having weathered the storm of the pandemic, a cost of business crisis and ongoing financial shocks, the BII (British Institute of Innkeeping) reports that three in four pubs were not profitable in 2023. Meanwhile, those that did not make it through the year represent as much as £100m lost to local economies, almost 20,000 jobs, and a staggering 64m fewer pints sold.

The Campaign has called for the government to introduce a package of measures in response.

CAMRA’s pub and club campaigns director Gary Timmins said: “Communities up and down the country are not simply facing the loss of pubs, but also the jobs, investment, opportunities and the social spaces those pubs create. It’s easy to get caught up in the nostalgic idea of the pub as a British institution, but the positive impacts they have on people’s lives is very concrete.

“Government inaction is putting tens of thousands of businesses on the line, and it’s vital that the upcoming Spring Budget provides a 20 per cent draught duty relief, the removal of unnecessary red tape that currently prevents the sale of takeaway pints, and a VAT cut for hospitality.

“Pubs, social clubs, brewers, cider makers and consumers urgently need cohesive leadership from the government, not just piecemeal policy changes, and I hope these shocking figures are a catalyst for that shift.”

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will deliver his Budget on Wednesday 6 March and CAMRA is encouraging everyone to email their MPs as well as asking them to support Make it 20 per cent and call on the government to show its support for pubs, social clubs, breweries and cider producers.

CAMRA’s e-lobby can be found here: https://action.camra.org.uk/page/142898/action/1