Licensing laws should be changed during ‘national moments’ to allow alcohol to be served outside of usual hours, after Sunday’s World Cup Final boosted pub sales, according to calls from the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).
Pub businesses across the country show trading increases of between 14% and 28%, despite many pubs facing restrictions on when they could serve alcohol at the start or during the game.
The trade body is now asking for an amendment to the Licensing Act 2003 to reflect the need for blanket licensing changes, maintaining laws are too prescriptive in permitting urgent one-off measures to be taken.
Greater legal flexibility that allows communities to come together in the nation’s pubs to celebrate key social and sporting events is vital for their long-term commercial sustainability, the BBPA says.
Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the BBPA said: “”Despite the Government’s valuable work encouraging local authorities to support pubs on Sunday, we now need the law to reflect the reality that strict, prescriptive licensing cannot easily flex when key events are taking place while Parliament is not sitting.
”The Licensing Act is an important piece of legislation, but it was never intended be so inflexible as to stand in the way of communities coming together and enjoy a beer and celebrate one-off events of national interest.
”MPs know the pubs are the focal points of their local communities so let’s work together to get an amendment quickly agreed.”
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