Plan of action: I am currently engaging with Star on how the company is putting this plan into practice and will provide a further update on progress in due course, PCA Fiona Dickie explained Pubs code adjudicator Fiona Dickie has released an action plan drawn up by Star Pubs & Bars after her office found the operator had seriously and repeatedly breached the pubs code.
The detailed plan released by Heineken’s pub arm and the operator of in the region of 2,500 pubs sets out a timeline of when Star intends to address each of the eight binding recommendations Dickie made after finding the company had committed 12 breaches of the pubs code.
Rent event: Star previously argued RPI rent increases constitute a tenant rent assessment or review unsuccessfully during an arbitration but chose not to appeal the eventual award Heineken’s pub arm, Star Pubs and Bars, has retracted a policy stating RPI rent increases constitute a tenant rent assessment or review, according to an announcement by the industry regulator.
As outlined by the pubs code, tenants have the right to a code rent assessment proposal (RAP) if there has been no rent assessment during the previous five years.
However, according to an update on 18 February, pubs code adjudicator (PCA) Fiona Dickie revealed Star had refused to provide tenants with an RAP because, the operator argued, annual retail price index (RPI) rental increases during the previous five years counted as an assessment or a review.
2020’s biggest pub property stories
In the final pub property round-up of 2020
The MA looked back on 20 of the biggest deals, revamps and reopenings covered in the past 12 months.
Recap the biggest property stories from 2020 here.
Pub ‘vanished’ roughly once every 20 hours during 2020
Some 446 pubs ‘vanished’ from communities in England and Wales last year, equating to an average of 37 a month, new figures show.
As reported by
The Morning Advertiser (MA), analysis of Government data by real estate adviser Altus Group showed the overall number of pubs in England and Wales, liable for business rates, including those vacant and being offered to let, fell to 40,617 on 31 December – down 446 (6%) compared with 41,063 on 31 December 2019.
Pub group Star Pubs & Bars is to continue to offer all its pubs on core leased and tenanted agreements a 90% rent reduction during the weeks in which hospitality businesses are required to close due to lockdown in England, Scotland and Wales.