Wales pubs seek reopening dates

Publicans and operators who run hundreds of pubs across Wales have urged first minister Mark Drakeford to provide them with more support and clear dates on when they can expect to reopen once more.

The operators have said they are at crisis point as they are not getting the financial support they need from the Welsh government, nor have they been given dates or a roadmap on when they can expect to reopen their businesses as the vaccine rollout continues apace across Wales.

Some have pointed out that the Drakeford is not giving Welsh publicans enough financial backing when compared to the support and clarity on reopening their counterparts are getting in England and Scotland.

The last grant for pubs in Wales covered the period up to the end of March, yet pubs cannot expect to reopen fully until May. According to the Welsh Beer & Pub Association, they need restart grants like those in England and Scotland urgently to ensure their pubs can survive continued lockdown and reopen once more.

"We’ve been kept in the dark for too long with little support," says Geoff Fiddler, publican at one of Wales oldest pubs, the Skirrid in Llanvihangel Cucorney near Abergavenny. "Like many other publicans, we are frustrated by the Welsh government’s claims that they are providing the most generous support package in the UK when in reality, we are not seeing where this money is going. With eligibility restraints around the Sector Specific Support, so many of us are missing out. Without more information surrounding reopening, or an increase in support, many pubs will certainly struggle to obtain their former glory, place in the community and financial stability.”

The first minister this weekend suggested that pubs may be able to open outdoors in late April, but the date for a full reopening indoors remains unknown.

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