Sunak steps in to save off-site sales

Pubs and bars in the UK will be able to continue selling takeaway pints after a personal intervention from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The rules were introduced in July 2020 and allowed pubs to sell takeaway pints without permission from the local council.

These rules were set to expire on 30 September but Sunak has intervened after pressure from trade associations like the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) and UKHospitality (UKH).

Sunak’s intervention will eliminate the need for a separate application process, ensuring that businesses can sustain off-site sales operations.

Kate Nicholls UKH chief executive said: “This is a very welcome intervention by the Prime Minister in response to representations from UKHospitality and the sector more widely. Many businesses benefited for the first time from pavement licences and created new outdoor areas but, for some, the use of them was only allowed by a corresponding temporary permission for takeaway sales or al fresco dining.

“The government was originally proposing to extend the former but not the latter and this would have tied up many more restaurants, bars and pubs in red tape; requiring an application for some to continue using their outside spaces.”

She added: “This is a welcome dose of common sense. As the Prime Minister rightly says, now is not the time to tie these businesses up in additional bureaucracy and cost just as they continue their recovery from the pandemic. We very much appreciate his personal intervention and ongoing support.”