OWNERS of a small village pub said they fear losing their business owing to the effects the pandemic has wrought on their finances – adding a single £3,000 payment from the council is “not enough” to survive on.
Chris and Amanda Lillitou, who run The Jolly Cricketers pub in the village of Seer Green, said they have lost around £50,000 this year thanks to “forced closure” of their business in light of the pandemic – and so far the couple have received just one £3,000 grant from Buckinghamshire Council.
The landlords of the Victorian pub said the lockdowns had cost them ‘thousands’ each time and complications with insurance meant they had no recourse to compensation.
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After shutting shop for more than 180 days, the pair said they still have to find £3,000 each month to pay into staff pensions, adding the lack of reimbursement is “bonkers”.
Mrs Lillitou said despite the struggle they had managed to retain all their staff, but ‘support should be greater’.
“Even though we’re the smaller pub in the village, because we’ve been very busy our rates have gone up and up, reaching £59,000,” said Mrs Lillitou.
“As a result, we don’t qualify for a £25,000 grant based on a percentage of our turnover. It’s mental.
“And even though your staff are on furlough you have to pay their PAYE, their pension. That’s £3,000 each month we have to find.
“I think…there has to be more compensation for a forced closure…based on loss of earnings – surely that’s fair?
“Our turnover is £900,000 a year, our profit is around £100,000 a year – so we’ve lost a minimum of £50,000.
“We all paid insurance, but we’re not covered. We’ve received nothing for all this loss of stock.
“In the time [we’ve been closed] we’ve had one £3,000 payment from Buckinghamshire Council.”
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Mrs Lillitou said she “definitely” fears losing her pub if things continue, adding: “Every time we lockdown and reopen it costs us thousands.
“To close a business down without the data, this second time especially, it’s just not clear enough or justifiable.
“I think the new 11pm closure is more reasonable, but the ‘substantial meal’ thing is ridiculous.
“We’ve built up a strong business over 13 years, god help the ones that haven’t. But with all the money we’ve lost we haven’t had any compensation – it’s bonkers.”
A spokesperson for Buckinghamshire Council said: “The current business rates grant payments are set by government based on business rates, and local councils administer these accounts based on the criteria set by the government.
“The Jolly Cricketers weren’t eligible for the council-administered business rates grants earlier in the year because their rateable value was over the limit of £51,000.
“The Local Restrictions Support Grants for the latest lockdown did include properties with a rateable value over £51,000 and the £3,000 grant was in respect of this period of lockdown, again based on government criteria.
“In addition, we were able to grant them retail rate relief and so they have no rates payable in 2020/21.
““The Additional Restrictions Grant was launched at around about the same time as the Local Restrictions Support Grants and a decision was taken to limit access to this fund to those businesses who were not in receipt of the LRSG.
“This decision was taken in order to extend support to as many Buckinghamshire businesses as possible. In order to support this a decision was taken not to limit the sectors that could apply, which has also meant that we have not prioritised any particular sectors either for the Additional Restrictions Grant.
“This is a difficult time for many businesses and as well as the above schemes there is also a range of additional supports for businesses affected by the lockdown. Details can be found on the Buckinghamshire Council website at https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/coronavirus/; on the government website at https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support ; and on the Buck Business First website at bbf.uk.com.
“Further grants will become payable once Buckinghamshire reverts to Tier 2 and we are awaiting further information from the government on this.”
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