Hospitality trade groups say Scottish pubs are "at risk of being forgotten

Hospitality trade groups say Scottish pubs are "at risk of being forgotten

Scotland's three main hospitality federations have pleaded with the Scottish government not to exclude pubs from the new proposals that involve greater street seating flexibility for other eateries such as restaurants.

The Scottish Beer & Pub Association (SBPA), Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) and UKHospitality Scotland have urged the government to reconsider the decision and extend the flexible outdoors seating arrangements into pubs and bars.

According to the current proposal, however, it would only apply to restaurants and other enterprises that are presently a class 3 business - eating and drinking on the premises - not to pubs or bars.

All three associations get together to highlight UK's favourite pubs and bars.

Chief executive Colin Wilkinson said: 'The current exclusion of pubs and bars from the Permitted Development Rights proposal, in our view, is nothing short of discriminatory.

UKHospitality Scotland has called for companies to make a clearer use of external space and has backed the government's proposal to do so.

Responses to our Scottish Government consultation were presented through the Scottish Beer & Pub Association (SBPA), the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA) and UKHospitality Scotland (UKHS).