Last orders for takeaway pub pints as Covid rules expire

The government has decided to call time on Covid-era licensing rules that made it easier for pubs in England and Wales to sell takeaway drinks.

Landlords were given permission in 2020 to serve customers in the street through hatches when they were forced to close their premises by Covid laws.

The move - aimed at saving the trade from financial ruin - was extended twice during the pandemic.

But it will be wound up on 30 September, the Home Office has said.

Pubs that want to continue serving takeaway pints will have to apply for permission from their local councils.

The British Beer and Pub Association said the "disappointing" decision would force pubs to go through a "lengthy application and approval processes" to keep takeaway sales.

"We need government to support our pubs and allow them to diversify and innovate, not hold them back with more red tape and unnecessary regulation," added chief executive Emma McClarkin.

The relaxed licensing regime, introduced in July 2020, allows pubs without an off-premises licence to sell takeaway alcohol without having to apply to their local council for permission.

The change allowed them to keep trading during periods of lockdown when pubs were closed.

It also meant they could sell drinks in pavement areas where they have a licence to put tables and chairs, without seeking permission.

However, the government has decided that from the end of September pubs with an on-site licence will need a licence change from their local council to do takeaway sales.

Official planning documents have estimated between 8,500 and 12,800 such premises could decide to do so, although the government says there is a lack of "robust" data on potential demand.

Explaining the decision, the Home Office said it had canvassed opinion from local councils, residents' groups and drinks retailers - and the majority of respondents favoured returning to the pre-Covid rules.

The department said it will encourage councils to treat applications as a minor licence change, a quicker and cheaper process, to minimise "transition costs" for existing licence holders.

But Mike Kill from the Night Time Industries Association, a trade body, said there was no guarantee that councils would agree to handle all applications in this way.

He told the BBC the changes would also leave premises with "little time" to apply for licence changes before the 30 September cut-off.

He said he was "slightly bemused" as to why the government had ditched the Covid-era regime, adding it had helped licensed premises create a "more cosmopolitan or cafe-style" social environment.

UKHospitality, an industry group, said the "practical" Covid-era relaxations had helped some businesses to boost sales.

Its chief executive Kate Nicholls added: "This decision will raise questions among hospitality businesses about how serious the government is about reducing red-tape for businesses".