Contribution by: Suzanne Gallagher

Comment by: Suzanne Gallagher

Focus area: Pubs

Regulator concerned: My comments are general and do not relate to a particular regulator or regulatory function

Comment:
Two years ago we bought a pub that had been closed down for the previous two years, it was in a bad state and we have spent a lot of time and money restoring the building and the business, indeed we have been so successful that CAMRA have voted us their best pub in the whole of [deleted text] two years in a row. My husband and I are barbers by trade and by having a barber shop within the pub this is how we make the business sustainable. As barbers and not experienced publicans we hoped we would get help from the licensing authority but the opposite has been the case, in spite of never having any violent incident, not allowing children into the pub never causing a disturbance etc we have been told we have to have a risk assessment and an operating procedure, ok fair enough, we asked for an example or a template to follow but they just wouldn’t offer any advice beyond ‘just google it, you’ll find something’ . They just can’t be bothered to help us do what is required by them. We’ve also just had to pay £89 to have petty conditions that they had placed on our licence removed because all of a sudden we we’re getting visits and calls from them enforcing the conditions. We run an excellent pub with well trained staff and customers who are generally 35+years old the licensing authority know this why don’t they help instead of hinder?