Investment Finance News: Landlords 'should be optimistic' about buy to let opportunities

Landlords with property to rent in London and other parts of the UK are increasingly turning their thoughts to expanding their portfolios, an independent property industry expert has said.

Malcolm Harrison commented that many landlords are right to be optimistic about their buy to let prospects, as the rental market will "remain very tight" until there is more housing stock and a wider range of UK mortgage offers for first time buyers.

"There is no house building, there is a shortage of decent housing in many areas and you can't get a mortgage, so quite a lot of people are going to be very dependent on buy to let investors," he pointed out.

"I think [landlords] are right to be cautiously optimistic anyway because we don't know what is happening with the overall economy yet."

Mr Harrison's comments come after LSL Property Services published research showing half (49 per cent) of landlords think now is a good time to invest in their portfolios, with 86 per cent are planning to do just that in the next few months.

Investment Finance News

Birchington Development Opportunity for Sale

Property With Planning for Conversion

Birchington
The Square
Birchington
Kent
CT7

Net Saleable: 4879 sq/ft*

£ 340,000

Birchington is a quiet popular Town located on the Kent North Coast. This development opportunity is situated at the rear of 8-10 Birchington Square and is a few minutes walk to the local shops, bus routes, railway station and local amenities.

Full planning permission has been granted for the conversion of existing outbuildings into 2 residetial dwellings and the erection of 4 new build houses.

All 6 houses will benefit from 2 bedrooms and off-street parking.

Net saleable approximately 4,879sq.ft

Kent Investment Property for Sale

London Retail Landlords Are Better Off

Landlords who have retail property in London are likely to be better off than their counterparts in town centres.

Matthew Hopkinson, director at the Local Data Company, explained that landlords are finding it tougher to let their town centre retail spaces for a number of reasons.
He explained: "There are lots of aspects about town centres which make it much harder [to let].

"There are a number of dynamics, and those dynamics vary depending on where you are in the country and the type of shop and population that you are serving."
Mr Hopkinson added that infrastructure issues, such as parking and the size of the retail space, are causing problems for landlords.

He claims many retailers want a space that has ease of access and parking that supports their business.

However, landlords who have retail property in London may not need to be too concerned, as Iain Smith, spokesman for the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, recently said that London is the "best business city in the world".

London Commercial Property News

Central London Investment Property For Sale In Bloomsbury

Bloomsbury Investment Property for Sale

King's Mews
London
Greater London
WC1N

GIA: 10512 sq/ft*

£ 5,650,000
Freehold

The buildings are situated on the eastern side of Kings Mews and can be accessed from Theobalds Road or Northington Street.

The property is located in Bloomsbury in the London Borough of Camden. Chancery Lane Underground station is approximately 350 metres to the south of the property on the corner of High Holborn and Grays Inn Road.

The site comprises a row of 6 freehold buildings. It is our clients wish to retain 2 of the units (preferably 25-26) The Kings Mews buildings are an assortment of low rise commercial buildings with one residential flat across the top floor of numbers 29 and 30.

The buildings for sale form part of a larger consented scheme for residential development. The buildings are now being sold separately and accordingly any prospective purchaser will need to make a separate planning application.

However, given than Camden Council granted a residential consent over the larger property, it could be argued that the principle of residential use for these properties has been established.

Having regard to the size of the buildings and plots for sale, there is potential for the development of mews houses in place of the buildings (subject to all necessary consents).

Individual buildings or parcels can be purchased.

There is an opportunity to develop the buildings on Kings Mews into mews style houses, subject to all necessary consents.

Investment Property in Bloomsbury

London Properties For Sale

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UK Pubs; Change of Use and Planning

Redeveloping Commercial property to meet the demands of the UK’s property deficit is a highly cyclical and risky business and finding the perfect property for development does not happen by chance. The ability to determine your property investment needs, identify problem areas and ask the right questions can be the difference between profit and loss.

Over the last few years more and more people are choosing to convert former public houses into private residential dwellings. The traditional British pub is currently under threat as never before. A combination of factors has led to more and more pub owners shutting down pubs and seeking to convert the buildings to other uses; Footfall in all pubs has gone down two-thirds in the last twenty years, and there just isn't the demand that there used to be. Beer sales are falling by 20pc year on year and pubs are closing at the rate of 5 a day. The price of freehold pubs continues to fall, as breweries, pub chains and pub companies offload unprofitable, struggling, run down or vacant pubs.

But finding the ideal pub site to redevelop is not always that simple. There are issues with finding finance for the purchase of a commercial building, VAT to be considered but perhaps most important are the issues of change of use and planning.

Paramount Investments specialise in the sale of licensed and commercial properties and Sales Director, Steve Oliver has been selling pubs, wine bars, hotels and restaurants for the last 8 years;

" Some of our commercial properties already have planning permission for redevelopment. Pubs have a flexible A4 planning ‘business use class’ that normally can be changed to A1 use (say, for a newsagents), A2 (a delicatessen or a firm of solicitors or architects) or A3 (restaurants). And if you buy a property with planning permission, you can get on with your property development, modernisation or refurbishment project straight away."

Lincoln Pub and Development Land for Sale

Former public house/development land for sale with full vacant possession.

Joiners Arms
Victoria Street
West Parade, Lincoln
Lincolnshire
LN1

Ground floor footplate: 1524 sq/ft*

£ 125,000 + VAT
Freehold

Unconditional offers are invited for our clients unencumbered interest.

Approx gross site area: 1,741 sq ft*

The property represents excellent value for continued licensed use / owner occupation. There is also enormous potential for redevelopment (residential / commercial / mixed use) subject to gaining the appropriate Local Authority consents.

The existing use class of the property is A4 'Drinking Establishments'. Planning consent is not required to change the current use to A1 (shops), A2 (financial and professional services) or A3 (restaurants and cafes).

Rateable Value: £3,850

Joiners Arms Pub for Sale, Lincoln

Hotel for Sale, Mansfield Derbyshire

Derbyshire Hotel for Sale

Stanton Hotel
New Houghton
Mansfield
Derbyshire
NG19

Gross Site Area: 9708 sq/ft*

£ 250,000 + VAT

Freehold Hotel For Sale, Mansfield, Derbyshire

Gloucestershire Pub For Sale

Property investors looking for pubs for sale might be interested to hear that the Fox & Elm in Tuffley, Gloucester, is on the market for £29,950 leasehold.The Citizen reported that the premises include gardens, a three-bedroom flat and a dining room, with rent set at £16,000 for the next two years.

A skittle alley, children's play area and large car park are also part of the pub, which was last refurbished in 2004.It also has 14 years left on a renewable Marstons Inns lease, while prospective investors might be pleased to hear that it turned over £180,000 in the last financial year.

Councillor Gerald Dee told the newspaper that it is hard for the pub to compete with cheap alcohol sold in supermarkets.

"I would like to see it continue as a successful pub but I am not sure if it could unless they started serving food," he added.

The Campaign for Real Ale noted that the site has hosted a pub for at least 60 years, having been known as the New Inn, the Blinking Owl and Fox & Elm over time.

UK Pub Sales News

Guide to Buying Properties at Auctions

If you've set your mind on buying properties at auction, properties are usually advertised for three or four weeks before the auction day, during which time you can inspect them.

This is the time to do your homework and importantly make sure it's suitable. If you decide to take the plunge, let the auction house know you're interested, so it can keep you informed of developments. Some pubs are sold prior to the auction.

This is also the time to have the pub surveyed; Legal documents are usually available to download from the property auctioneer's website which you should get your solicitors to look through, however you don't need your solicitor to attend the auction.

Follow the links for more info on Guide to Buying Properties at Auctions

Downham Market Pub for Sale, Norfolk

Norfolk Pub with Land for Sale

Jolly Farmers
Feltwell Road
Southery, Downham Market
Norfolk
PE38

Gross Site Area: 42112 sq/ft*

£ 210,000 + VAT

Jolly Farmers Freehold Pub for Sale, Downham Market

Bloomberg Analysts Warns U.K. Retail Demergers Should Await Consumer Return

First-quarter sales at Costa Coffee surged 23 percent, Whitbread said last week, while sales at its budget hotel chain Premier Inn rose 8.1 percent. The company plans to double the size of Costa Coffee to 3,500 stores worldwide over the next five years.

“Nothing is likely in the near term,” Ellis said June 23. “It isn’t the easiest market environment to sell into at the minute, with ongoing consumer pressures. They would be better to hold off. It is now at the stage where a lot of investment in overseas markets is starting to bear fruit.”

The planned demerger of Punch Taverns Plc (PUB) this year to separate its leased pub division from Spirit, the faster-growing managed pub estate that includes Chef & Brewer, is unlikely to create shareholder value as weak consumer spending hurts leased outlets, say analysts.

“My valuation is 70 pence for Spirit and five pence for the Punch part of it,” Paul Hickman, an analyst at Peel Hunt, said in a phone interview on June 23. “It is fairly valued at the moment. The demerger is the delayed result of a company hitting the recession with too many pubs and too much debt. While trading is quite difficult, what they are doing is appropriate.”

Punch climbed 1.9 percent to close at 71.35 pence a share in London trading on June 24.

Punch Taverns is making “good progress” with its demerger the company said on June 8. The demerger needs the approval of bondholders.

Save the Pub Group; Planning law changes ‘won’t save pubs’

Morning Advertiser reports that protecting pubs through changes to planning law is “not deliverable”, community pubs minister Bob Neill has warned campaigners.

However, he has promised to look at a “mixture” of ways to improve protection of pubs and boost the chances of communities taking over assets where they are both viable and valued.

The All-Party Parliamentary Save the Pub Group, in conjunction with the Campaign for Real Ale, had issued Neill with a Charter for Protecting Pubs in England.

The charter calls for an end to the “scandal” of closing profitable pubs against the wishes of the community. It wants changes to the planning system to ensure pubs can’t be demolished or undergo change of use without planning permission.

It also wants to ensure a guarantee that a pub will not be lost where there is a viable bid to buy it and to continue running it as a pub.
Neill warned the Save the Pub Group that he could not deliver protection for every single pub.

“I don’t think it is deliverable — and certainly not through the planning system, as it deals with the regulation of land use. If you are regulating a certain type of business use, that is not deliverable.”

He added: “You can’t use the planning system to alter the shape of the market.”

Stonegate Pub Company and Town & City Pub Company Merger

Stonegate Pub Company and Town & City Pub Company have merged to form the largest privately held managed pub operator in the UK, with a combined portfolio of 560 pubs and revenues approaching half a billion pounds, reports Property Week.

The merger is the first significant transaction for Stonegate since it was formed by private equity firm TDR Capital to acquire pubs from Mitchells & Butlers in November 2010.

The merged entity will be called Stonegate Pub Company, with TDR Capital as the majority owner.

In 1998 TDR Capital were the original backers of Punch Taverns, orchestrating the acquisition of an estate of 1,428 pubs from Bass and the first tied pub securitisation. In 2003 TDR Capital acquired PizzaExpress, combining it with ASK in 2004 to create the Gondola Group, a leading casual dining group with over 500 restaurants across the UK.

“The UK pub industry continues to undergo significant change. This merger further strengthens our platform and positions us to be leaders in this shake-up.”

Great British Beer Festival 2011

The Great British Beer Festival at Earls Court, Britain's biggest beer festival, once again brings together a wide range of real ales, ciders, perries and international beers.

There's plenty to occupy you at the festival, you can play on some traditional pub games, enjoy live music, sample some food, including good traditional pub snacks, and also attend tutored beer tastings.

Britain's biggest beer festival 2-6 August 2011 Earls Court, London

Market Drayton Pub for Sale

Shropshire Pub for Sale

Squirrel
Wollerton
Market Drayton
Shropshire
TF9

Gross Site Area: 18387 sq/ft*

£ 175,000 + VAT
Freehold

Squirrel Pub for Sale, Market Drayton Shropshire

Wi-Fi in Pubs Would Attract More Customers Reports Big Hospitality

A survey of customers in some of the largest pub chains around the UK has found that a decent Wi-Fi connection would encourage punters to visit more often.

Preliminary results from a Him! Research’s OnTrack 2011 report reveal that 6 per cent of pub customers say they’d be more frequent customers in a pub if they could log on to the internet there.

The report was prepared following interviews with 2,700 pub customers conducted earlier this month at Greene King, JDW/Lloyds Average, JD Wetherspoon, Lloyds, Shepherd Neame, Vintage Inns, Marston's, Punch, and Independent Pubs.

“Other foodservice outlets are increasingly offering this footfall driving service, which has already become an expectation in some parts of the world,” said Him!

“For example, Pizza Express e-mailed its customer database this week to let them know about their improved Wi-Fi service."

Another survey published in 2008 revealed similar results. Conducted by T-Mobile, the survey had found that almost half of British consumers want to be able to use the internet wherever they go, and they list pubs as one of the top locations they would like to surf the web.

Pubs, Planners & Planning Permission

Paramount Investments specialise in the sale of licensed and commercial properties and Sales Director, Steve Oliver has been selling pubs, wine bars, hotels and restaurants for the last 8 years.

"Planners believe a pub is as essential to village life as a shop or post office. The loss of pubs, whether in rural or urban areas, can undermine the local economy and community. Although not impossible it will be harder to get planning permission for changing the use if it's the last pub in the village as planners like to have a least one pub in the area. Your local planning authority will be able to give you their opinion on the feasibility of your plans and if a similar property has already been converted, then this will help your own planning application."

Follow the link for more on Planners & Planning Permission

Bradford-on-Avon Pub for Sale, Wiltshire

Wiltshire Pub for Sale

Beef & Barge
Widbrook
Bradford-on-Avon
Wiltshire
BA15

Gross Site Area: 1 acres*

£ 575,000 + VAT
Freehold

Beef and Barge Pub for Sale, Bradford-on-Avon

Birmingham Pub for Sale, West Midlands

West Midlands Pub for Sale

Lickey Banker
Ormond Road, Rubery
Birmingham
West Midlands
B45

Gross Site Area: 28291 sq/ft*

£ 400,000 + VAT
Freehold

Public house/development land for sale with full vacant possession. Unconditional offers are invited for our clients unencumbered interest.

The property represents excellent value for continued licensed use / owner occupation. There is also enormous potential for redevelopment (residential / commercial / mixed use) subject to gaining the appropriate Local Authority consents.

Lickey Banker Pub for Sale, Birmingham, West Midlands

Wales Pub News; Flat Holm Island Pub Opens.

The Gull and Leek, one of the most unusual pubs in Wales, has opened, reports the BBC. But, as Andy Gourlay found, a visit requires some planning, because it is on the nature reserve island of Flat Holm.

On the face of it, it's not the most promising site for a new pub.

In the middle of nowhere, you can't park and the locals are a noisy bunch intent on pinching your sandwiches.

But despite all that, the Gull and Leek, the new pub on the nature reserve at Flat Holm island is sure to be a hit with visitors who do manage to drop in.

Unless you happen to own a boat, there's no nipping over for a quick pint as a trip there takes a bit of forward planning.

Blackpool Pub Change of Use Planning for Conversion to Officess

Plans have been submitted to convert a legendary Blackpool pub into offices, reports the Blackpool Gazette.

The Oxford, in Oxford Square, Marton, had been a mainstay on the resort’s social scene for years but, after closing its doors a few years ago, saw a number of failed attempts to resurrect the business.

Now, following the purchase of the pub at auction for £120,000, plans have been lodged to convert the building into office premises.

They include the demolition of a rear storage building to form a car park, cycle and bin area, a first-floor extension to the side and rear, installing new windows and creating a new entrance feature.

The move flies in the face of a desperate plea from Blackpool landlords to re-open the building, as a pub.

The venue was famed in the past as a live music venue, with landlords having to work extra hard to attract customers due to a lack of parking spaces in the area.

UK Pub Grub News; Pies For Pubs

The Pies for Pubs scheme aims to help non-food pubs start up a “quick, easy and profitable” pie service. The pie cabinets are designed to sit on the bar top and fresh pies and pasties will be delivered from 10 depots to anywhere in England or Wales with no minimum delivery.

Peter’s has signed a trading agreement with Punch Taverns.
“Peter’s has a great product and an excellent support package with many added benefits,” said Allan Todd, catering development manager for Punch Taverns. “I see remarkable potential with so many of our businesses and am thrilled that we’ve have reached this agreement.”

In South Wales where the scheme was piloted, several pubs are selling around 300 pies a months, enabling them to add £4-5,000 to their incomings. Peter’s recommends selling the pies for £1.99 each, which would result in 40% GP. In autumn the company plans to achieve 50% GP on each product. Peter’s provides marketing support to participating pubs.

Huddersfield Pub for Sale, Pub for Sale West Yorkshire

Freehold Pub for Sale, Huddersfield

Armitage Arms
Morley Lane
Huddersfield
West Yorkshire
HD3

Ground floor footplate: 1535 sq/ft*

£ 175,000 + VAT

Former public house for sale with full vacant possession.

Also included in the sale is a commercial unit next door on Market Street. Currently trading as a Barbers on an unlicensed premises lease until 2015 @ an approximate rent of £3,100 pa. (We await confirmation from the vendor on this information, so please contact the investments team for further information - 0207 644 2333)

Approx ground floor area of Pub: 1,535 sq ft*
Approx ground floor area of the Barbers: 442 sqft*

The property is located in a mixed retail/commercial area, approx 2.5 miles from Huddersfield town centre.

Trading area comprises main bar and games room. There is an unused meeting room on the first floor and a further 3 bedroom owners accommodation to the upper parts.
There is a small rear yard and a garage on the site.
Unconditional offers are invited for our clients unencumbered interest.

Armitage Arms Public House For Sale, Huddersfield

People over 65 should drink less

Recommended safe limits for drinking alcohol by older people should be drastically cut, according to a reported by the BBC.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists says people over 65 should drink a maximum of only 1.5 units of alcohol a day.

That is the equivalent of just over about half a pint of beer or a small glass of wine.

The report says older drinkers are less able to process alcohol and the drink might also interact with medication they may be taking for other ailments.

It warns current advice - 14 units of alcohol for women and 21 for men each week - is based on work with young adults.

A group of experts from the Royal College of Psychiatrists says there is a growing problem with substance abuse among older people, who they describe as society's "invisible addicts".

The report says a third those who experience problems with alcohol abuse do so later on in life, often as a result of big changes like retirement, bereavement or feelings of boredom, loneliness and depression.

Heineken, Independent offer free Wi-Fi news

Heineken, Independent offer free Wi-Fi news

Fuller, Smith & Turner Question Capital Pub Rejection

Brewer and pub operator Fuller, Smith & Turner has responded to the rejection of their offer of 220p per share by Capital Pub's shareholders.

Fuller’s questioned the group’s growth strategy in the statement. “It has taken Capital over 10 years to grow its estate to 34 pubs and Fuller’s believes that the strategy to grow the estate by a further 11 to 16 pubs (which represents a 32 to 47% increase in the estate) over the next two years has considerable risks associated with its execution which could dilute the overall quality and attractiveness of the estate and which could have a negative impact on valuation over time.”

"Fuller's believes that the announcement yesterday of the acquisition of The Priory, a smaller leasehold site, reaffirms its concerns that in seeking to acquire sites quickly, Capital risks compromising the overall quality of its estate and diluting the freehold/leasehold mix."

UK Pubs and Restaurants Report Post-Bank Holiday Slump

Spending on eating and drinking out-of-home flattened out in May, with a slight 0.3% decline in like-for-like sales - in contrast to a 3.8% uplift in the holiday month of April, according to latest Coffer Peach Business Tracker data. But the sector still outperformed retail sales.

Figures from the Tracker, which monitors sales performance across 22 major pub and restaurant operators, also showed total sales growth slowing among the sample – up just 1.7% on the same month last year, compared with a 6.2% increase in April. Month on month May was down -6.1% on April.

However, eating and drinking-out still held up better than retail. According to the British Retail Consortium / KPMG Retail Sales Monitor UK retail sales were 2.1% lower on a like-for-like basis in May, with total sales down 0.3%.

“Poorer weather after the hot spell and what looks like a post-Easter and Royal Wedding hangover among consumers will have played their part,” said Peter Martin of Peach Factory, the market consultancy which produces the sector Tracker in partnership with KPMG, UBS and the Coffer Group. “Nevertheless, the negative dip is disappointing as it marks the first month this year which as seen a fall in eating and drinking out sales, albeit a marginal one.”

“The good news is that if eating and drinking out are a better barometer of consumer confidence than retail, then the country is perhaps in better spirits than many think. Despite reports to the contrary, people are still going out,” he added.

Stoke on Trent Commercial Property for Sale

Staffordshire Property for Sale

New Hall Street
Stoke-on-Trent
Staffordshire
ST1

Gross Site Area: 7459 sq/ft*

£ 400,000 Freehold

Part single storey and part three storey commercial building sitting on a gross site of over 7,400 sq.ft.

The property is superbly situated in Hanley town Centre opposite a Tesco store and within immediate proximity of the Potteries Shopping Centre.

There is enormous potential for redevelopment with planning consent already in place for over 9,500 sq.ft of retail and 27 flats (13 x 1-beds, 13 x 2-beds and 1 x 3-bed).

There are also other angles with the site which might also include a 70-90 bed hotel.

Site assembly may also be possible with the site forming a strategic piece of the pie in a larger local regeneration project.

Please let us know should you have any queries or wish to arrange a viewing.

Commercial Property for Sale

Leeds Tetley's Brewery Closure-170 Jobs Lost

Tetley's brewery has finally closed after almost 200 years as a landmark on the southern approaches of Leeds.

The closure of the brewery that has been on the same site since 1822 means the loss of 170 jobs.

Although various campaigns criticised the closure, announced in 2008, they have had no impact on the decision.

Local beer writer Barrie Pepper said: "I'm shattered. It's been an integral part of the city playing its part in civic life in so many ways."

Parent company Carlsberg announced the closure in in 2008.

It claimed the beer market faced the "perfect storm of falling consumption, increasing costs and rising tax".

Tetley's is one of Leeds' oldest companies and the city has a long history of brewing.

At the time of World War I there were about 20 breweries in Leeds.

UK Pub Sales News: Travelodge to target former pubs for sale

Budget hotel chain Travelodge will be seeking former pubs for sale in order to expand its operations by 100 new small hotels.

The company unveiled plans to develop Metro accommodation, which would see smaller sites containing between 20 and 40 rooms each being launched in prime locations.
Office space in London is one area Travelodge is looking to develop into hotels, along with old pubs, derelict cinemas and theatres, disused business parks and retail outlets.

Guy Parsons, chief executive of the chain, commented that a pilot scheme in Edinburgh showed how successful the Metro model could be.

"Downsizing our hotel building requirements will open hundreds of development opportunities for us. This will enable us to expand quickly and meet the growing demands from consumers who want low cost and good quality accommodation in prime locations," he added.

Meanwhile, Travelodge has also announced plans to link up with pub companies, including Greene King, Mitchells & Butlers and JD Wetherspoon, as part of a £100 million expansion project.

UK Pub Sales News

Welsh Pubco Puts Seven Pubs on Market

Welsh pub operator SA Brain & Co Ltd has put seven pubs from its portfolio onto the market.

The brewer and pub operator has already disposed of eight of its tenanted pubs between 2009 and 2010, and is now marketing the freeholds of seven more, according to the Morning Advertiser.

Amongst the closed pubs up for sale include the Cardiff Arms in Splott, which has a price tag of £255,000; the Mitre Inn in Canton, with a price tag of £195,000; the Talbot in Pwll, Llanelli, Dyfed - £150,000 - and the White Horse in Llanelli, Dyfed - £165,000.

The other SA Brain pubs currently being marketed for sale by commercial letting agents Sidney Phillips include Bar Charlie in Haverfordwest, Dyfed - for £115,000; the Mardy Hotel in Gorseinon, West Glamorgan - £255,000 - and the Sawyers Arms in Maesteg, Mid Glamorgan, on the market for £165,000.

Chief executive of SA Brain, Scott Waddington, had previously said that the company was 'cautious' about 2011 trading prospects, and that it would 'continue to focus on controlling costs within the business.'

The pub operator's profit after tax fell from £6.4 million in 2009 to just £1.5 million last year, but this was partly due to the sale of its free-trade division to Heineken in 2009, which pushed up profits.

Licensed property news: Localism Bill 'could affect pub sales'

People thinking of buying a pub might be interested to hear that the government's Localism Bill could affect the way purchases are made.

The British Beer & Pub Association has called for changes to be made to the community right to buy proposals under the legislation, as in their current form the organisation fears pub sales could be hindered.

Martin Rawlings, director of pub and leisure at the association, commented: "We want to see as many pubs stay open as possible - and community right to buy definitely has a role to play in keeping community pubs open. But many pubs are successfully bought and sold every day, and thrive under their new ownership."

He said the organisation would like to see the transfer of ownership process remain free of costly delays but retain the benefits and safeguards of the community right to buy proposals.

Meanwhile, director of strategies at the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers Kate Nicholls told the Morning Advertiser that her organisation has raised concerns about assignment of leases.

Licensed Property News

Primrose Hill Pub Fights Mitchells ans Butler Take Over

The Morning Advertiser reports that a number of celebrities have thrown their weight behind the licensees of a popular Primrose Hill pub, after Mitchells & Butlers announced it would be taking back the premises as a managed house.

The Engineer was taken over in 1994 by Tamsin Olivier and Abigail Osborne, who invested £70,000 to refurbish the premises and transform it into a popular London gastropub. The pub is now taking in excess of £30,000 a week, up from £2,000 a week when the licensees took over.

However, the future of the pub has now been thrown into doubt as landlord Mitchells & Butlers served notice with intent to take occupation and possession in October, at the end of the lease.

Comedian and Engineer regular Harry Enfield has joined forces with local businesswoman Jane Robbins, along with other locals and celebrities including comedians Ben Miller and Alexander Armstrong, to launch the campaign ‘Engineered Out’.

Robbins told the Publican’s Morning Advertiser: “Primrose Hill is about free-thinking individual businesses and we managed to keep Starbucks out, so hopefully we can do the same to Mitchells & Butlers.”

JD Wetherspoon Opens New Pubs in Dorset

New pub jobs are to be created in Dorset after JD Wetherspoon was granted permission to open a new venue in Wimborne, reports Caterer.com

The pub chain applied to East Dorset District Council to open a pub on the site of the former Old Conservative Club in West Borough and was given the nod by district planners, the Bournemouth Echo reports.

In addition, the chain's proposals for closing times - 00:30 BST from Sunday to Wednesday and 01:30 from Thursday to Saturday - were also given the green light.

The pub will be allowed to serve late-night refreshments and alcohol until midnight from Sunday to Wednesday and 01:00 from Thursday to Saturday, the newspaper noted.

It comes after plans to build a new venue in the Dorset seaside town of Weymouth were approved, which could create many hotel jobs in the area.

The multi-million pound proposals for the site on Mercery Road include a hotel, an office building, supermarket, petrol station and car park, View Online reports.

Chesterfield Pub for Sale

Derbyshire Pub for Sale

Local Heroes (Yellow Lion)
Saltergate
Chesterfield
Derbyshire
S40

Ground floor footplate: 1795 sq/ft*

£ 200,000 + VAT
Freehold

Public house for sale with full vacant possession. A small part of the property is Grade II listed.

Unconditional offers are invited for our clients unencumbered interest.

The property represents excellent value for continued licensed use / owner occupation. There is also enormous potential for redevelopment (residential / commercial / mixed use) subject to gaining the appropriate Local Authority consents.

Local Heroes Pub for Sale, Chesterfield

Pub Owners and Workers Beware; Protecting Your Business from Anti-Social Media

Employers may be aware of a recent case in which an Employment Tribunal found that JD Wetherspoons plc had fairly dismissed a pub manager for gross misconduct when she made damaging comments about customers on Facebook. Ms Preece was subjected to abusive behaviour by the customers, whom she asked to leave.

She was then subjected to 3 abusive phonecalls, apparently from the customers' daughter, using very insulting language. Having dealt with these situations professionally, Ms Preece began to complain and swear about the customers by name on Facebook while she was working, although she did not mention the name of her employers or the pub.

In an age where many younger (and indeed not so young) employees stay in constant contact with friends through social media, what can or should employers be doing to avoid damage to reputation and disciplinary issues concerning ill-chosen online quips?

Lexology

Gloucester Pub for Sale

Gloucestershire Pub for Sale

Coach & Horses
St. Catherine Street
Gloucester
Gloucestershire
GL1

Gross Site Area: 8669 sq/ft*

£ 270,000
Freehold

Public house/development land for sale subject to an occupational tenancy until Sept 2012 @ a current rent of £8,505 pa.

Approx ground floor area: 3,214 sq ft* (pub only)

The property is located on the edge of the city centre close to Gloucester's Kingsholm Rugby ground and is in a mixed residential and commercial area, close to several business parks. There is a gated entrance to staff parking and trade garden at the rear.

It is a 2 storey end-of-terrace building and is a Grade II listed former coaching inn with white washed rendered elevations and also has later extensions which are brick built and used currently for storage.

The bar area is divided into three sections and is of open plan style. The accommodation comprises of a 1 bedroom self-contained flat and a 4 bedroom first floor flat.


Coach and Horses Pub for Sale, Gloucester

Oxford Pub Reopens

Five pubs may be closing in the UK every day, but two pubs in Jericho are hoping to buck the trend this year.

The Old Bookbinders Arms in Victor Street, judged Oxford’s best pub by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) three years ago, closed its doors in Jericho on Friday. But just down the road, a couple from London are looking forward to opening their doors to the public next Monday.

The Harcourt Arms in Cranham Terrace closed last week when previous owner John Jackson retired due to ill health.

Now Paula Finch, 34, and Xavier Bouhayed, 36, are hoping to revive its fortunes, while drinkers are returning to the former Radcliffe Arms, now the Rickety Press.

Miss Finch said: “We have been looking for a pub to run for over a year and we fell in love with this area. We think the pub has got massive potential.

“The old boozer is perhaps not a profitable business anymore, but the model of pub coming out of London, like the gastro-pub, are.”

Jericho once boasted 24 pubs, but the only remaining ones are the Harcourt Arms and The Rickety Press, the Jericho Tavern in Walton Street, Jude the Obscure in Walton Street and the Victoria Arms in Walton Street.

Stoke On Trent Pub for Sale

Staffordshire Pub for Sale, Stoke On Trent

Jester
Biddulph Road
Stoke-on-Trent
Staffordshire
ST6

Gross Site Area: 24903 sq/ft*

£ 325,000 + VAT
Freehold

Jester Pub for Sale, Stoke On Trent

London Olympic Planning Night-Time only Deliveries

The Morning Advertiser Reports that concern has been raised as Transport for London (TfL) unveiled plans to bring in night-time deliveries as a “key” part of its strategy to deal with the demand on the transport network during the 2012 event.

British Beer & Pub Association chief executive Brigid Simmonds demanded that TfL and London boroughs move quickly to make decisions to allow the trade to plan. She said: “This is a big logistical challenge, with hundreds of central London pubs, and many more around the other Olympic venues, directly affected.

“Night-time deliveries will have a big impact on all the pubs affected, with staff needed on site at night to receive goods. Though beer delivery is the biggest challenge, this isn’t just about beer, as pubs receive a wide range of supplies.

“Transport for London and the boroughs need to move things forward quickly, so brewers, distributors and pubs can work together to overcome the bottlenecks.”

London's South Bank Pubs And Restaurants Given £4 Million Boost

London’s South Bank will undergo a £4m makeover to make it more easily accessible to visitors in time for the Olympics, with the works due to benefit the area’s restaurants, cafes and bars.

Accessibility will be improved accross a two-mile stretch of the Thames riverside
The development work is part of a larger project by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, to improve access to some of London’s key attractions, particularly for those who have special accessibility needs.

The £220m Great Outdoors programme aims to improve over 50 of the capital’s public spaces in time for the Olympic Games next year. The measures include redesigned streets, which can be shared by both pedestrians and vehicles, reclaimed derelict green spaces and underused waterways.

Conducted in conjunction with local councils, businesses and residents’ groups, the development work aims to promote use of London’s attractions as well as its restaurants, cafes, bars and shops.

CAMRA National Raffle to Save the Great British Pub

The launch of the raffle comes at a time when 1,300 pubs shut their doors in 2010, causing the loss of more than 13,000 jobs.

The deadline for entering the raffle is Monday September 19th, with the draw taking place a week after on September 26th.

Members and non members who would like to donate to CAMRA's pub campaigning funds directly can also visit CAMRA Donate.

Colin Valentine, CAMRA national chairman, said: "CAMRA has campaigned tirelessly for 40 years to save valued community pubs from closure, and without the dedicated efforts of our members, we feel the issue of pub closures would be even more severe.

"In the face of chronic under investment, problems with UK planning laws, eye watering beer taxation levels, and continued issues with the way large pub companies are operated, we currently experience uncertain times in the pub industry.

"With the launch of this Raffle today, CAMRA is seeking to raise much needed campaigning funds in order to help continue to safeguard the future of community pubs and champion them as invaluable local amenities.

"All proceeds will go towards helping us to act locally through campaigns such as Local Pubs Week, which encourage more people to visit the pub, as well as helping us hammer home the pub closure message to central Government when we lobby politicians."

Campaign for the Amendment of the Smoking Ban

The smoking ban has had a devastating impact on community pubs throughout Britain, according to campaigners who claim Scotland has lost 7.1% of its pub estate (467 pubs), Wales 7.3% (274), and England 7.6% (4,148).

That's according to the Save Our Pubs & Clubs campaign, which has been set up by MPs from the three main political parties in an effort to change the smoking ban.

Greg Knight, Conservative MP for East Yorkshire, Roger Godsiff, Labour MP for Birmingham Hall Green, and John Hemming, Liberal Democrat MP for Birmingham Yardley, will host a reception for the Save Our Pubs &
Clubs campaign at the House of Commons on June 29.

The event, which marks the fourth anniversary of the smoking ban in England, will kick start the organisers' plans to lobby MPs for a review of the ban and an amendment to the legislation.

Knight said: "This is a unique opportunity for people to show how strongly they feel on this important issue. A modest change in the law, not a repeal of the smoking ban, is all we seek."

Simon Clark, director of the Save Our Pubs & Clubs campaign, added: "Looking at the dramatic increase in pub closures since the introduction of smoking bans in Scotland, Wales and England, it is clear that the ban has been a big factor in the closure of many pubs and clubs throughout Britain.

"The government must review the ban and consider a change in the law that would allow separate smoking rooms in pubs and clubs."

Leasehold Pub for Sale, Denton, Manchester

Denton Pub for Sale, Manchester

Broomhouse
Hyde Road
Denton
Manchester
M34

£ 225,000 + VAT Leasehold

Broomhouse Pub for Sale,Manchester

Fuller, Smith & Turner Unveils 118-year Old Beer

London’s brewer Fuller’s has once again delved into its rich history of brewing in the capital to produce a second beer in the Past Masters range of historic ales.

Past Masters Double Stout has been brewed by Fuller’s master brewers to a recipe found in the brewbook from August 4, 1893 – just a year after the now world-famous Griffin Brewery name was first trademarked and when Fuller, Smith & Turner was a mere 48 years old.

As with the first Past Masters beer, XX Strong Ale, the Double Stout recipe contains a revived malt variety, Plumage Archer, which had disappeared from brewers books for many years. Fuller’s brewers have worked closely with their maltsters, Simpsons, to recreate the ingredients used by their forefathers as closely as possible.

Fuller’s Head Brewer, John Keeling, said of his new, old beer; “Past Masters Double Stout is a rich, dark brown creamy ale, which balances a rich, fruity aroma with smoky, bittersweet chocolate notes.

“It is 7.4% ABV and, like the XX Strong Ale we made last year, will change character over time – quite how much in another 118 years we’re not sure!

Pubco News; M & B Report Food Sales Overtaking Beer Sales

Pubs and restaurants group Mitchells & Butlers said food sales have overtaken drink for the first time on the back of a strong performance at Harvester and the disposal of 333 pubs which were focused on drink.

But the group warned that soaring food and energy prices will squeeze the business into next year.

M&B, which also owns the All Bar One, Toby Carvery and the Sizzling Pub Co chains, said rising inflation and the uncertainty around household spending in the UK will both pose a challenge

Ellesmere Port Leasehold Pub for Sale

Cheshire Pub for Sale, Ellesmere Port

Wing Half
Alnwick Drive
Ellesmere Port
Cheshire
CH65

Gross Site Area: 13935 sq/ft*

£ 100,000 + VAT
Leasehold

Lease length: Short Leasehold 99 years from 1972 at a current rent of £4,750

Wing Half Pub for Sale, Ellesmere Port

April Pub and Restaurant Sales Up, but Analysts Urge Caution

Holiday fever helped to boost spending on eating and drinking out-of-home in April, with like-for-likes sales figures overall up 3.8% for the month. Figures from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker also showed total sales, which include the impact of new openings, ahead by 6.2% on the same month last year.

However, the headline figures hide a more complex picture of consumer spending. “While the school holidays had a positive effect, Easter 2011 wasn’t as good as Easter 2010 and while the hot weather helped pubs in particular, it also brought out more home barbecues as a counter-attraction,” said Peter Martin of Peach Factory, which produces the Tracker, which monitors sales performance across 21 major pub and restaurant operators, in partnership with KPMG, UBS and the Coffer Group.

“The extra holiday for the Royal Wedding, Easter being later, how school holidays fell and the sunny weather all played a role, but not always as might have been expected,” said Martin.

“The challenge for pubs and restaurants has been to convince people to go out rather than stay at home and watch the Royal Wedding on their own TV, for example, or enjoy the sun around their own or friends’ barbecues. So to grow sales over the month is good news, with the run up to the Easter weekend particularly strong,” he added.

“Hot weather, as we had this year, generally tends to favour pubs, especially those with outside areas, rather than restaurants. Last year, it rained over Easter and many people went shopping especially to malls, and to inside entertainment like the cinema, benefiting restaurants in those locations. Good weather can be a double-edged sword.”

Barnsley Pub for Sale, South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire Pub for Sale, Barnsley

Flying Dutchman
Cemetery Road
Jump, Barnsley
South Yorkshire
S74

Gross Site Area: 5764 sq/ft*

£ 130,000 + VAT

Flying Dutchman Pub for Sale Barnsley, South Yorkshire

Wigan Hotel For Sale, Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester Pub for Sale, Wigan

Bryn Hall Hotel
Bolton Road
Bamfurlong, Wigan
Greater Manchester
WN2

Gross Site Area: 13289 sq/ft*

£ 325,000 + VAT

Bryn Hall Hotel For Sale, Wigan

Manchester Hotel For Sale

Leasehold Hotel For Sale, Greater Manchester

Eagle Hotel
Greenbrow Road
Manchester
Greater Manchester
M23

Gross Site Area: 15816 sq/ft*

£ 150,000 + VAT
Leasehold

Lease length: Short leasehold expires 2059 @ £120 pa

Eagle Hotel For Sale Manchester

Liverpool Pub for Sale, Merseyside

Merseyside pub for Sale

Lobster
Moss Way
Liverpool
Merseyside
L11

Gross Site Area: 19455 sq/ft*

£ 200,000 + VAT

Lobster Leasehold Pub for Sale, Liverpool

Preston Pub for Sale, Ashton-on-Ribble

Freehold Pub for Sale, Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston

Fylde Tavern
Fylde Road
Ashton-on-Ribble, Preston
Lancashire
PR2

Ground floor footplate: 2898 sq/ft*

£ 225,000 + VAT

Fylde Tavern Pub for Sale, Preston, Lancashire

Putney Pub Saved from Closure Wins Nomination for Small Music Venue

As part of a new campaign to "Keep Live Music Alive" NME is on the hunt to find BRITAIN'S BEST SMALL VENUE - the grass-roots pubs and clubs that are the beating heart of this country's music scene.

The Half Moon Putney was notified by the NME yesterday that they had been shortlisted for the competition along with 4 other venues in the London category.

Carrie Davies, of The Half Moon said:
"This time last year we were still celebrating the fact that The Half Moon didn't close and to be shortlisted for such an award only a year later is incredible. We are so lucky to have such loyal supporters, from our regular customers to the great bands that play here"

The Half Moon is determined to continue to book live music 7 nights a week and prides itself on booking an eclectic mix of bands and artists from 60s Soul Legends to the next big thing.

To cast your vote Voting closes on 10 June 2011

Rochdale Hotel for Sale, Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester Pub for Sale, Rochdale

St Albans Hotel
Manchester Road
Rochdale
Greater Manchester
OL11

Ground floor footplate: 1833 sq/ft*

£ 175,000 + VAT

St Albans Freehold Hotel For Sale, Rochdale

Pubs Raise £110 Million for Charity

Pubs in the UK raise £110m a year for charitable causes, BII (British Institute of Innkeeping) chief executive Neil Robertson revealed at the trade body’s annual lunch, reports the morning advertiser.

The total figure for charitable giving equates to £3,000 per pub. Top charities are: Help for Heroes, air ambulances, cancer charities, lifeboat charities and the Royal British Legion.

The figures have emerged from a survey of pubs by CGA Strategy on behalf of PubAid, which collates figures for donations to charity within the sector.

Robertson said: “Pubs do it not for praise — they do it to show their place at the heart of local communities. Congratulations to all who delivered this.

“Even if the economy stays flat, customers will still spend 9% of their disposable income on eating and drinking out.

Whitchurch Hotel for Sale, Shropshire

Shropshire Pub for Sale

Star Hotel
Watergate Street
Whitchurch
Shropshire
SY13

Ground floor footplate: 1032 sq/ft*

£ 180,000 + VAT Freehold

Star Hotel for Sale, Shropshire

Community Right to Buy Scheme Shortcomings Exposed

The British Property Federation (BPF) has exposed the shortcomings in the government’s Community Right to Buy Scheme, claiming that it doesn’t provide a complete solution to saving local services such as post offices and pubs.

The scheme seeks to give locals the opportunity to take over the assets that are important to their community. They would then be able to nominate the asset to be listed with the local authority, and could bid for the asset if it was put up for sale.

In reality, however, further details reveal that communities may be able to take over the building but not the service. For example, post offices operate a contractual service, which would not be guaranteed to continue should the community bid for the building.

The BPF’s chief executive, Liz Peace, responded to the government’s proposals by saying “It is misleading of Government to portray the Community Right to Buy scheme as a mechanism for local communities to keep services open.

“If, for example, a local pub faces closure and the community manage to purchase it they would take ownership of the building and not the service. They would have to take on and organise this for themselves.

The BPF also fears for the development and growth of local economies if spurious or unsustainable nominations are made. They suggest that the government should implement a series of safeguards that communities must meet before listing a property with the local authority.

Macclesfield Pub for Sale, Cheshire

Cheshire Pub for Sale

Wharf Inn
Brook Street
Macclesfield
Cheshire
SK11

Ground floor footplate: 1562 sq/ft*

£ 150,000 + VAT
Leasehold

Lease length: Long Leasehold until 2852 @ £2pa

Wharf Inn Pub for Sale, Macclesfield

Eating Out Costs At All Time High in the UK

The cost of eating out in the UK is now at an all-time high, with the average three-course adult meal costing nearly £19, reports the Mystery Dining Company.

Research from market analyst Horizons shows that meal prices in restaurants, pubs and hotels increased by 7.5 per cent in 2010, pushing up the average price of a dish across all courses to an all-time high of £6.78.

A three-course meal in a pub now costs an average £15.45, up 4.1 per cent, while the price in restaurants has gone up to £20.92, a rise of 2.8 per cent.

Horizons' research also showed that the average price of a three-course adult meal rose to £18.94 in 2010, up from £18.03 in 2009.

Paul Backman, Horizons' services director, said the price hike was driven by rising costs.

"There will also be an element of raising menu prices to pay for the widening use of discounts and money-off vouchers," he explained.

"Operators are trying to maintain their margins by using their buying power to keep cost pressures under control and re-engineering menus to bring average costs down."

A fifth of pub-goers said they would visit the pub last weekends Royal Wedding. A survey of more than 400 consumers by the Mystery Dining Company found that 20 per cent planned to visit to the pub over the weekend.

Britain’s Best Small Venue

NME is fighting back against the closure of live music pubs and clubs by launching a search for the UK’s best small venue.

The campaign comes after research by UK Music discovered around 50 pubs are closing each week because of the troubled economy and strict licensing laws, which is impacting heavily on the country’s live rock scene.

NME editor Krissi Murison said most successful bands would not have got where they are today without the help of small venues. “They play an extremely important role in nurturing talent, which NME is very proud to support,” Murison added. “It’s in all of the UK music industry’s interest for small venues to prosper.”

To help the fightback, NME is launching its search for Britain’s Best Small Venue. Live music fans will be invited to nominate their favourite small venue (with a capacity of 500 or below) via NME.COM/ smallvenues. Entries will be judged on the quality of the venue itself, as well as the music they have helped to encourage.

Following an initial two-week nomination period, venues chosen by fans and NME itself will be divided by region (South East and London, South West, Midlands and East Anglia, Wales, North, Scotland and Northern Ireland) and put forward to the voting stage on nme.com.

UK Music chief executive, Feargal Sharkey backed the campaign. “Great artists and great bands have always begun in small venues,” he said. “It is vital that the next generation of UK talent have places to learn their craft and play."

Wetherspoons Reports 'reasonable year'

JD Wetherspoon has this morning reported a 2.4% increase in like-for-like sales for the 13 weeks to 24 April.

The 787-strong managed pub company, said that total company sales during the period increased by 7.4%.

It said that it expected to produce “a reasonable outcome” in its current financial year. Like-for-like sales for the 39 weeks to 24 April were up by 2.4% and company sales climbed by 7.6% on the previous year.

The company has opened 29 new pubs and closed two pubs since the start of the financial year. A number of sites are under development and, in line with previous estimates, it intends to open approximately 50 pubs in the current financial year

Cardiff Pub Redeveloped into Flats

An application to turn an old pub into a block of flats has sparked an angry response from a Cardiff community, reports Wales online.

The Cow and Snuffers in Llandaff North was closed last year, and a planning application has been submitted to convert the disused building into seven flats.

The former pub is the latest in a series of city hostelries to face being converted into housing.

But transforming the historic and once thriving establishment into a residential space would not be in keeping with the area’s past, according to the area’s councillors.

Llandaff North councillor Jacqui Hooper said: “Residents are absolutely horrified. It’s a lovely building and it has a lot of history behind it.

“We as councillors are also horrified. There are issues with access and with where they are going to put their bins,” she added.

“The Cow and Snuffers is one of the last buildings in Llandaff North with a lot of history.”

The pub was built in the 19th Century and its unusual name is said to have come as a result of a “silly name” contest.

Formerly known as the Red Cow, the Cow and Snuffers was also reported to have been visited by Benjamin Disraeli, with a bust of the former prime minister installed at the pub.

It is this illustrious past which residents and councillors fear will be lost if planning permission is given to convert the pub into flats.

But the consultants behind the application said the renovation would be a boost to the Llandaff North community and its housing needs.

Gareth Williams, of Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners, said: “The pub was disused, so there is the potential for restoring the building.

“The pub closed down as it was not making money so they looked for an alternative use.

Local Pubs Become Part of Election Campaigns

In the final weekend of campaigning before the 5 May vote, parties continued to highlight key issues, reports the BBC.

Welsh Conservative leader Nick Bourne on the campaign trail
The Welsh Conservatives promoted their plans for community empowerment.

Candidate for South Wales Central, Andrew RT Davies, said: "Welsh Conservatives would give more communities the opportunity to get involved - co-operate - and take control."

Mr Davies was speaking on a visit to a pub, previously owned by the local community, in the Vale of Glamorgan.

"We want them to take over the running of local amenities like village halls, community centres, post offices and pubs."