'Twenty-six pubs a month' close
Last Updated: Tuesday, 2 August 2005, 16:00 GMT 17:00 UK
Thats over 3 years old... Has the trend continued?
Depends on where you are and who you ask. There is definitely a trend for the neighbourhood pubs to go. Despite whining in the media about this being because of the smoking ban, the credit crunch, bird flu or whatever the current bee in their bonnet is, it's more to do with people's habits changing.
Younger people don't want to drink in the same pub as their parents. They want loud music, no seats and sugary bottles of drink. And people stay younger, longer now. A mid thirties bird like me would still be acceptable in a place that had deals on alcohol rather than a carpet and a Quiz Night.
And once people have children they don't want to live near a pub that has live music or a beer garden. Forget the fact they moved in knowing the pub was there. Forget the fact that their house price was probably lowered by its proximity to the pub. Forget the fact that local boozers never have the same trouble as town centre bars and are in fact run by the locals instead of arsey bouncers.
Yes, we have had noise complaints. One just last week. At 10.15 (and that's the time the noise abatement officers arrived, not the time the call was made) on a Friday night. Apparently our live band was too loud. We were told to stop the music or face being closed down. The negotiations last until about 10.50, at which time the band were asked to make the next song their last (our music licence is until 12 and they had obnly just started their second set) Last Saturday night was dead. About 5 customers - word had got around that the Pelton wasn't allowed to do music or karaoke any more. Another pub had to close their beer garden, which was a big draw in the summer.
Perhaps with property prices falling, less pubs will be sold to developers to turn into flats. I hope so. I think responsible drinking habits are formed by the community feeling in local pubs. Pubs in general will never close entirely, but it would be a shame if the neighbourhood pub went under.