South West Norfolk MP, Terry Jermy has called for greater support for West Norfolk’s pubs, highlighting their unique importance in rural communities.
Within the past month, Mr Jermy has met with the owners of The Wellington Pub in Feltwell and the newly reopened Jenyns in Denver.
In Feltwell, Mr Jermy met with Chris Samuels and Chris Grandison who have owned The Wellington since 2014. The discussion touched on shared concerns over the fairness of the current business rates system for rural businesses and changes Mr Jermy MP would like to see made to the tax system to reflect rural realities.
Following the meeting, he has written to the Chancellor Rachel Reeves, calling for the importance of maintaining rural pubs to be better reflected in the rates system.
The Wellington is a hub for Feltwell and surrounding areas. They are a Warm Space and also hold events such as Meet Up Mondays and a Men’s Breakfast Group, all of which aim to combat rural isolation, and be a place where people can come together to enjoy each other’s company.
This is in addition to the support they provide their staff and help for various charities and organisations in the community.
The Jenyns has recently been reopened by James and Sean Butler-Whyman, having sat empty for more than five years. The Jenyns is also the only pub in the whole country that is owned by the Environment Agency and sits on the bank of the Denver Sluice.
Last month, the Government announced a major support package for pubs on top of the support announced in the Budget. The new support measures will include a 15% cut to new business rates from April, followed by a two-year real-terms freeze, and a review into the methods used to determine business rates for pubs.
Terry Jermy MP said: “I strongly support this review, which is long overdue, and I will be pushing for the Chancellor to include a rural element into the methods used to calculate rates for rural pubs because our tax system doesn’t currently recognise the crucially important social benefits of spaces like these in rural communities like ours.
“When villages lose the pub, they often lose the heart of the rural community, because pubs aren’t just places where we go for a drink. They are spaces that provide community enrichment. Protecting the rural pub is therefore vital. It is also important to consider the cost to the state when a rural pub closes, given how much pubs like The Wellington do to combat loneliness, rural isolation and mental health issues.
“We need the Government to be bold, to push back against longer term cultural and societal changes that are impacting our communities, such as the move to more online sales and supermarket alcohol sales. We also need to ensure that fairness is incorporated into our tax system. The business world has moved on, but the tax system has not. We need an even playing field.”
In addition to further support measures, the Chancellor also announced £10 million of funding through the Hospitality Support Fund. This funding aims to help over 1,000 pubs provide extra services for local communities, including creating community cafes, village stores and play areas to help pubs bring locals and families together and boost their footfall. It will also help support people to move into jobs in hospitality.
