Leaders of the UK pub industry are calling for permanent changes to licensing laws so that venues can serve drinks whenever “national moments” are being celebrated, no matter the time or date.
In the lead-up to the women’s World Cup final between England and Spain on Sunday - don’t ask about the score - the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) called for the government to ease rulings which stop sites from serving alcohol in the early morning.
With kick-off at 11 am, the BBPA wanted all pubs to be allowed to serve alcohol from 10 am onwards, a deviation from current rules which require venues to obtain approval from local councils beforehand.
Despite urging local councils to accept the proposed change, the government, which is currently in recess, was unable to introduce a country-wide rule, meaning some fans were forced to wait until the second half to buy an alcoholic beverage.
Early indications are showing that trading on Sunday was up by as much as 28%, but the organisation believes current licensing rules are “far too prescriptive in permitting urgent one-off measures to be taken”.
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“While it may not seem to be the most pressing of matters, the importance of greater legal flexibility that allows communities to come together in the nation’s pubs to celebrate key social and sporting events is vital for their long-term commercial sustainability,” the BBPA said.
Emma Mclarkin, chief executive officer at BBPA, claimed that while the Licensing Act is an important piece of legislation, it shouldn’t be a ruling that stands in the way of the country celebrating important moments.
“Despite the Government’s valuable work encouraging local authorities to support pubs on Sunday, we now need the law to reflect the reality that strict, prescriptive licensing cannot easily flex when key events are taking place while Parliament is not sitting,” she concluded.