Halving two-metre rule vital, say Shropshire pub owners

Pubs, bars, restaurants, cinemas, theatres and hotels say reducing it to one metre could mean more than doubling the number of customers they welcome back through their doors.

Stephanie French, who runs The Old Bush in Albrighton, said: “I think the only way anything in the hospitality pub trade will work is if they reduce it to one metre.

"It's not viable financially at two metres. We have tried it both ways laying out the pub and would only be able to operate at about 30 per cent compared to 70 per cent.

"You completely lose the social side at two metres which is the heart of a pub, especially in a village.

"We are lucky we have a fair amount of outside space and we have been adapting that to suit."

It is feared that a two-metre limit will cripple hospitality businesses when they are allowed to reopen from July by slashing capacity far below what is profitable.

Suzanne-marie Campbell, of The Raven Hotel in Much Wenlock, said: “The safety of both our staff and customers is of paramount importance to us and we will fully utilise all of our outside space in order to reduce the risks for everyone at The Raven.

“We have spent weeks making new floor plans, changes to logistics and to our existing services in order to maintain social distancing. The one-metre rule will enable us to potentially operate at roughly 75 per cent capacity which is absolutely crucial to our financial recovery.”

John Auld, operations director at Market Drayton-based Joules Brewery, which runs pubs across the region, said: "The relaxation of the social distancing from two metres to one metre would be welcomed by Joule’s as long as the science supported that it is safe to do so.

"After all, we are about people enjoying pubs and socialising but our customers and staffs safety is still our first priority. The relaxation would allow a sense of normality and for people to move around the pubs easier.

"We all want to be back to normal, down the local with your friends, the potential relaxing of social distancing does feel like a step in the direction towards this."

However Marston’s, which runs pubs across the region, has criticised the Government for forcing it into “guesswork” and described communication from ministers as “weak”.

The brewing giant said it had starting brewing again on the “assumption” that a reduction in the two-metre rule will allow it to start trading again.

It says there has been no clarity on how its businesses will be able to start work again.

Marston’s chief executive Ralph Findlay said staff have been busy getting beer brewed, bringing people back from furlough and preparing sites to reopen.

“If we get confirmation that we can open on July 4 we will open 80 to 90 per cent on that date. The Government communication on all this has been weak so far. They intimated some time ago that hospitality and other parts of the leisure sector could probably open on July 4, but then here was various speculation – based on a leak – of opening on June 22, which obviously didn’t happen,” he added.

Seb Slater, executive director of Shrewsbury BID, said: “A relaxation in the two-metre rule would be welcome news for many Shrewsbury businesses, particularly our hospitality sector which is preparing to reopen in the coming weeks.

“As we continue our recovery, we will need to consider any government rule changes carefully and work closely with the Shrewsbury Recovery Taskforce on measures needed to create a safe and welcoming town centre over the summer.”