The first scientific study of the impact of pubs on rural communities has branded them “a vital service the countryside cannot afford to lose”.
Dr Ignazio Cabras said rural pubs are worth between £80,000 and £120,000 to their communities and act as “essential melting pots”.
Dr Cabras, a reader at Newcastle Business School and fellow member of the York Centre for Complex Systems Analysis (YCCSA), carried out an 18-month research programme aimed at understanding the importance of pubs in shaping cohesion and social wellbeing.
He said: “Rural pubs inject between £80,000 and £120,000 into their local community and have become community hubs which foster social engagement supporting integration among local residents and newcomers.
“While the impact of rural pubs on the community has long been understood to positively benefit the community, this report is the first time that the direct impact of pubs on the local community has been proved.”
The report, which was conducted with Dr Matthew Mount of Leeds University Business School and funded by the British Academy, looked at 2,769 English parishes and focused on pubs in rural communities or parishes with fewer than 3,000 people situated at least five miles (or 10 minutes’ drive) from towns or larger parishes of 5,000 inhabitants or more.
The researchers examined information such as the availability of local facilities and services, the size of the resident population and the level of employment, which they then used to measure levels of community cohesion and well-being in the selected parishes. Further analysis on data for 293 parishes from 2000 to 2010 confirmed that the positive effects pubs have on rural communities are maintained over time.
Dr Cabras said: “The English rural pub is not simply a place for drink, it has become a hub for the community’s infrastructure offering events, support and friendship. Pubs function as physical hubs which foster engagement and involvement amongst the community, as well as creating jobs for locals and local suppliers.
“It appears that the pub has increased its importance as the main hub in the community’s infrastructure, offering support to a wide range of activities. Pubs function as physical incubators which foster engagement and involvement among the community, as well as creating jobs for local people and local suppliers.”
John Longden, chief executive of Pub is The Hub, said: “While there is no direct link with the study and Pub is The Hub, the aims and objectives of both are complementary and confirm the significance of these businesses in the British rural context.
“In rural areas pubs act as essential melting pots for bringing the community together from all walks of life and this study concludes that it is yet another vital services that the countryside cannot afford to lose.”
