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The government wants to reform planning rules to help revive Britain’s struggling pubs and music venues.
The headline idea: developers building near existing venues would need to soundproof their properties, not the other way round.
The hope is to reduce noise complaints, speed up new licences, and breathe life back into high streets and nightlife.
It’s a nice notion.
But in practice, it feels like another well-meaning fix that ignores the real problem — people simply don’t have the money, or the habit, to go out like they used to.
My local is a good example.
Since Covid, it has been open only three nights a week.
That’s not because its licensee wants it to be — but because the numbers just don’t stack up the rest of the time.
Only last week, she told me: “It’s simply not economical to keep it open all week.”
Ironically, the venue recently faced complaints about late-night noise — just from the few nights it can afford to open.
These new planning rules, we’re told, are a way of protecting venues from this kind of complaint – the kind that has forced others into closure or costly legal battles.
The infamous case of Manchester’s Night and Day Cafe is often wheeled out — a three-year wrangle sparked by a neighbour who moved in during lockdown and didn’t like the volume once it reopened.
But that case is the tip of the iceberg. For every headline-making fight, there are quieter compromises: curfews brought forward, gigs cancelled, back doors shut and outdoor seating left empty – as in the case of my local.
This was the deal demanded by the courts after the hotel next door complained about noise.
Will the new rules change the situation? Possibly — for new builds.
But for the many venues already stuck in conflicts with neighbours, the proposed reforms won’t do much. They’re about future developments, not retroactive protections.
So they won’t do anything for my local.
The bar manager at another town pub elaborated on the biggest snag in the plan: “Soundproofing buildings near pubs and clubs would’ve been a great idea if it was implemented in the 20th century – when most British towns and cities were being developed.
“But if you implement the idea now, it’s going to be decades, if not longer, before the whole process takes any effect.
“If the government is looking for a way to help struggling venues, that’s not it.“
Even if the plan could be implemented across the UK – immediately, the bigger issue looms: a lack of punters.
You can have a gold-standard licence and triple glazing, but if no one’s got the spare cash to go out on a Thursday, the lights will stay off.
After Covid, we were told the night-time economy would bounce back, but even with a minimum wage rise and inflation stabilising, a Friday night pint is still pushing £6 in many places.
Add a taxi, maybe a cover charge, and the cost of a round — it’s no wonder people are staying home.
It’s not a licensing issue; it’s a living standards issue.
Punters are spending differently now — fewer rounds, shorter nights, fewer trips altogether.
Some of the regulars are still around, but not as often.
And younger people — the next generation of pubgoers — have less money and more reasons to stay in.
Meanwhile, businesses themselves are facing rising energy bills, staffing costs, and supply chain pressures.
Soundproofing requirements might help with planning permission, but they don’t pay the gas bill.
None of this is to say the reforms are worthless.
Protecting venues from being shut down because someone built a flat next door is sensible.
Encouraging outdoor dining and streamlining licences is overdue.
But let’s not pretend it solves the bigger problem.
The pub trade isn’t just suffering because of red tape — it’s suffering because the economics of going out, and staying open, don’t add up like they used to.
Until that changes, we’ll keep seeing the same story: the lights are still on, the crowd’s still up for it — but only a few nights a week. And when they do make some noise, someone complains.
EXTRA: Now we learn that the Oakman Inns & Restaurants chain, which has been operating for nearly 20 years, has fallen into administration.
This decision was driven by a significant decline in customer numbers, rising operational costs, and the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic – exactly the problems This Site has been highlighting.
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The pub’s not too loud — it’s too quiet, too often
Share this post:
The government wants to reform planning rules to help revive Britain’s struggling pubs and music venues.
The headline idea: developers building near existing venues would need to soundproof their properties, not the other way round.
The hope is to reduce noise complaints, speed up new licences, and breathe life back into high streets and nightlife.
It’s a nice notion.
But in practice, it feels like another well-meaning fix that ignores the real problem — people simply don’t have the money, or the habit, to go out like they used to.
My local is a good example.
Since Covid, it has been open only three nights a week.
That’s not because its licensee wants it to be — but because the numbers just don’t stack up the rest of the time.
Only last week, she told me: “It’s simply not economical to keep it open all week.”
Ironically, the venue recently faced complaints about late-night noise — just from the few nights it can afford to open.
These new planning rules, we’re told, are a way of protecting venues from this kind of complaint – the kind that has forced others into closure or costly legal battles.
The infamous case of Manchester’s Night and Day Cafe is often wheeled out — a three-year wrangle sparked by a neighbour who moved in during lockdown and didn’t like the volume once it reopened.
But that case is the tip of the iceberg. For every headline-making fight, there are quieter compromises: curfews brought forward, gigs cancelled, back doors shut and outdoor seating left empty – as in the case of my local.
This was the deal demanded by the courts after the hotel next door complained about noise.
Will the new rules change the situation? Possibly — for new builds.
But for the many venues already stuck in conflicts with neighbours, the proposed reforms won’t do much. They’re about future developments, not retroactive protections.
So they won’t do anything for my local.
The bar manager at another town pub elaborated on the biggest snag in the plan: “Soundproofing buildings near pubs and clubs would’ve been a great idea if it was implemented in the 20th century – when most British towns and cities were being developed.
“But if you implement the idea now, it’s going to be decades, if not longer, before the whole process takes any effect.
“If the government is looking for a way to help struggling venues, that’s not it.“
Even if the plan could be implemented across the UK – immediately, the bigger issue looms: a lack of punters.
You can have a gold-standard licence and triple glazing, but if no one’s got the spare cash to go out on a Thursday, the lights will stay off.
After Covid, we were told the night-time economy would bounce back, but even with a minimum wage rise and inflation stabilising, a Friday night pint is still pushing £6 in many places.
Add a taxi, maybe a cover charge, and the cost of a round — it’s no wonder people are staying home.
It’s not a licensing issue; it’s a living standards issue.
Punters are spending differently now — fewer rounds, shorter nights, fewer trips altogether.
Some of the regulars are still around, but not as often.
And younger people — the next generation of pubgoers — have less money and more reasons to stay in.
Meanwhile, businesses themselves are facing rising energy bills, staffing costs, and supply chain pressures.
Soundproofing requirements might help with planning permission, but they don’t pay the gas bill.
None of this is to say the reforms are worthless.
Protecting venues from being shut down because someone built a flat next door is sensible.
Encouraging outdoor dining and streamlining licences is overdue.
But let’s not pretend it solves the bigger problem.
The pub trade isn’t just suffering because of red tape — it’s suffering because the economics of going out, and staying open, don’t add up like they used to.
Until that changes, we’ll keep seeing the same story: the lights are still on, the crowd’s still up for it — but only a few nights a week. And when they do make some noise, someone complains.
EXTRA: Now we learn that the Oakman Inns & Restaurants chain, which has been operating for nearly 20 years, has fallen into administration.
This decision was driven by a significant decline in customer numbers, rising operational costs, and the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic – exactly the problems This Site has been highlighting.
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