Government to cut red tape to make it easier for new pubs, bars and cafes to open: The government has announced plans to overhaul planning and licensing rules, which it says will make it quicker and easier for new cafes, bars and music venues to open in place of disused shops. It said it will introduce a new National Licensing Policy Framework, which will modernise outdated planning and licensing rules – “cutting the cost, complexity, and time it takes to open and operate hospitality venues, and helping small businesses grow and communities reconnect”. The reforms will make it easier to convert disused shops into hospitality venues and protect long-standing pubs, clubs and music venues from noise complaints by new developments – “ensuring the buzz of the high street can thrive without being silenced”. As part of this, the government said it will introduce the “agent of change” principle into national planning and licensing policy – meaning developers will be responsible for soundproofing their buildings if they choose to build near existing pubs, clubs or music venues. New dedicated “hospitality zones”, will also be introduced where permissions for alfresco dining, street parties and extended opening hours will be fast-tracked – “helping to bring vibrancy and footfall back to the high street”. The government said: “The new National Licensing Policy Framework will streamline and standardise the process for securing planning permission and licences, removing the patchwork of local rules that currently delay or deter small businesses from opening. This means that entrepreneurs looking to turn empty shops into cafes, bars or music venues will face fewer forms, faster decisions and lower costs. This transformation is already underway through the High Street Rental Auction Scheme, which gives councils the power to auction off leases for commercial properties that have been vacant for over a year – bringing empty shops back into use and turning them into vibrant community hubs where people can enjoy a meal, drink or night out.” The plans come ahead of the launch of the government’s Small Business Plan, which it said will deliver on the Plan for Change by setting out further steps to “unlock the full potential” of the UK’s 5.5 million SMEs – which collectively contribute £2.8 trillion in turnover and provide 60% of all private sector jobs. Business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “This government has a plan to replace shuttered up shops with vibrant places to socialise, turning them into thriving cafés or busy bars, which supports local jobs and gives people a place to get together and catch up over a beer or a coffee. Red tape has stood in the way of people’s business ideas for too long. Today, we’re slashing those barriers to giving small business owners the freedom to flourish. From faster café openings to easier alfresco dining, our Plan for Change will put the buzz back into our town centres and money back into the pockets of local entrepreneurs, because when small businesses thrive, communities come alive.” Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “Whether it’s cheering on the Lionesses or catching up with friends, our pubs and bars are at the heart of British life. For too long, they’ve been stifled by clunky, outdated rules. We’re binning them – to protect pavement pints, al fresco dining and street parties – not just for the summer, but all year round. Through our Plan for Change, we’re backing small businesses and bringing good times back to the high street.” Kate Nicholls, chair of UKHospitality, said: “We strongly welcome these proposals to cut red tape and make it easier to open and operate hospitality venues, create jobs and grow the economy. Measures like streamlined licensing, hospitality zones and protections for existing venues are positive steps which we have been pushing for some time. We know that hospitality is the key to reinvigorate our vital high streets, breathe life into neighbourhoods and support local communities, and this is a welcome first step towards unlocking that. But positive and encouraging as these measures certainly are, they can’t on their own offset the immediate and mounting cost pressures facing hospitality businesses, which threaten to tax out of existence the businesses and jobs that today’s announcement seeks to support. Let’s hope that this is just the start of a bold, long-term plan for the high streets and hospitality, with reforms implemented swiftly and the promise of permanent lower business rates delivered in full at the next Budget to secure these new opportunities for all.” Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “After bringing together key voices in the pubs and the wider hospitality sector, it’s great news that many of the industry’s recommendations on how best to cut red-tape and support growth will be acted on. Red tape smothers pubs and wider hospitality which means communities and the economy miss out so, given pubs are struggling right now, it’s vital these are implemented at pace. These changes must go hand in hand with meaningful business rates reform, mitigating staggering employment costs, and a cut in beer duty so that pubs can thrive at the heart of the community.” Craig Beaumont, executive director at the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “With the Women’s Euros final bringing communities together to watch and enjoy in our pubs, bars, cafes and community venues tonight, this move is a welcome win for small firms. By cutting red tape, this enables small businesses to serve more customers outdoors. Let’s hope this is just the kick-off to a bold, long-term small business plan.”

Vagabond to open UK’s largest urban winery: Vagabond Wines, which was acquired out of administration by Majestic last year, has agreed terms to take 6,000 square feet of space at British Land and AustralianSuper’s 53-acre Canada Water Masterplan in London, for what it will be home to the UK’s largest urban winery. The winery is expected to quadruple Vagabond’s English wine output, supporting the growth of its small-batch, multi-award-winning still and sparkling range. The unit is located on the ground floor of the recently completed Dock Shed, a mixed-use building with headquarters-ready workspace above and the new Canada Water Leisure Centre to the rear. The space will feature a working 100-tonne winery, a Vagabond bar with the brand’s signature self-pour wine machines, and multiple event and private hire spaces. With production capacity of up to 100,000 bottles per year and space for more than 300 daily visitors, the winery will offer visitors the chance to see, smell, taste and enjoy wine at every stage of its journey. The launch forms a key part of Vagabond’s wider growth strategy, as it looks to double the size of its estate in the next three years. The first tranche of openings later this year includes new bars in St Paul’s and at British Land and GIC’s Broadgate scheme in Liverpool Street, in the capital. Vagabond managing director Christobell Giles said: “This urban winery is unlike anything we’ve done before. It’s a cathedral to wine – a space that lets people get up close to the winemaking process and connects them to the stories and passion behind every bottle. Wine shouldn’t live on a dusty shelf. It should be alive, expressive and social – and that’s exactly what we’re building.” Majestic Group chief executive John Colley said: “We are excited to be launching the UK’s largest urban winery, in a prime Central London location. This is a project we have been working on for a number of months and we can’t wait to welcome our first guests later this year. This significant investment from Majestic Group demonstrates the huge potential we see in the Vagabond brand, and we are committed to supporting its expansion into major towns and cities outside of London in the coming years.” The first phase of the Canada Water masterplan completes this summer, delivering 300,000 square feet of workspace and 13,000 square feet of retail at Three Deal Porters and Dock Shed, a new leisure centre for Southwark Council and 186 new homes at The Founding. Two further restaurants will also be opening soon, Sushi Revolution and Village Tree. 

Summer hospitality jobs dry up after Rachel Reeves’s budget raid: Hospitality businesses have dramatically reduced the number of summer job opportunities this year, taking vacancies down by a quarter last month as employers grapple with soaring costs. In June, there were 66,045 unique hospitality job postings, according to research by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, a 25% decline on the 88,414 available in the same month last year. The sharp drop for seasonal work in pubs, restaurants, bars, hotels and the tourism industry will particularly affect students returning from university and college as well as teenagers looking for their first job, UKHospitality has warned. The sector traditionally provides entry-level opportunities for young workers during peak holiday seasons. Hotels, restaurants and leisure venues typically increase hiring between April and June to meet increased demand from tourists and holidaymakers. Allen Simspon, chief executive of UKHospitality, said the decline was a reflection “of the impact we have seen from increased costs over the past nine months” and could lead to the “death of the great British summer job”. He said: “This is the time when hospitality businesses would be frantically hiring staff for the busy summer months, when the sector expects to welcome families to their hotels and serve millions of people with ice cream on the beach, fish and chips on the pier and cold pints in the pub garden.” Neil Carberry, chief executive at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, said the drop in summer job postings “is not just a staffing gap, it is a red flag for the wider economy”. He said: “It puts recruiters, hospitality businesses and customers under massive pressure to make the most of the short-lived English summer.”