Memorandum submitted by Mr and Mrs K Hutton
My husband and I have been licensees at the
above mentioned pub for the past three years, we have seen our
business suffer because of various reasons—ie smoking ban,
prices, etc, we work so hard to try to stay afloat we have had
to make cut backs and are working very long hours to save our
staff wages, but whatever we do it never seems quite enough.
We have recently (three months ago) requested
a meeting with Enterprise to discuss a rent reduction—our
rent was increased by £1,000 a month in March last year,
and we have struggled ever since. Just prior to this the only
road to our pub (we are situated on Ilkley Moors) was closed for
six weeks, we asked Enterprise that seeing as the business had
been badly disrupted and lost money due to customers not being
able to get to us except by a very long diversion, they could
see their way reducing the increase in our rent in proportion
with the loss in revenue. This fell on deaf ears as the recent
request we have made for a rent reduction seem to have, we therefore
think it very unfair that we are tied to Enterprise for purchasing
our beers and lagers at high prices—which in turn puts people
off coming out drinking, and yet are charged what we consider
a very high rent.
It seems to be the only business where the harder
you work the less help you get.
29 September 2008
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