29,000 pubs are to remain closed despite outdoor service being allowed in April, trade association says

Rebuilding the hospitality industry, which will allow only outdoor service to be offered, would mean 60 per cent of pubs would remain closed and lead to a £1.5billion loss to the business, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has warned.

The British Beer & Pub Association says 29.000 British pubs will be forced to close when the outdoor service resumes in April because they are not large enough to reopen without the benefit of a space upgrade.

The figure comes amid speculation that the Government will consider allowing out-of-hours care in restaurants from April.

It says some 29.000 pubs in Britain will remain closed as they lack a large enough garden or outdoor area to reopen and serve clients without them opening indoors.

She added that about 75 per cent of pubs in the UK have a beer garden or exterior area but only 40 per cent of pubs are likely to have a beer garden or exterior area large enough.

In view of this, even if many of the large open spaces opened could still struggle to fulfil capacity, with severely reduced capacity and major practical challenges such as April weather.

It argued that if pubs don't open outdoors until April only 17 per cent of Britain's pub capacity, inside and out, will open.

Pubs returning to outdoor work in April will lead to only 17 per cent of Britain's capacity being reopened, which would mean a £1.5bn loss from pre-Covid levels.