Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, has signed both a cross-party letter and a parliamentary motion calling on the Government to ensure that owners of pubs cancel commercial rent during the period of forced closures.
UK pubs are currently closed and unable to trade. Despite this, some pub-owning companies are still charging rent to their tenants, who have no trade and no income.
This problem is affecting a number pubs in the Denton and Reddish constituency, including the Bay Horse in Haughton Green. Whilst the company that owns the pub has now agreed to reduce rents by fifty percent, tenant Michael Hill is still likely to be in considerable debt once the crisis is over.
Andrew Gwynne said:
“Pubs are hugely important as community hubs and the Coronavirus crisis poses a real threat to the longterm survival of the industry.
“Whilst our pubs are unable to trade, it is wrong that their tenants are still being charged rent as normal.
“It is essential that this issue is resolved urgently to ensure that there will be pubs to reopen when the time comes.”