Benefits of UK village pubs tallied

The positive impacts of pubs in rural communities have been shown to be worth around £100K to local economies, according to a recent study.

Rural pubs are a key factor in village life as they act as a local meeting point and hub for the community to meet and engage with each other, according to Dr Ignazio Cabras, a reader at Newcastle Business School.

“Rural pubs inject between £80,000 and £120,000 into their local community and have become hubs which foster social engagement support integration among local residents and newcomers,” explained Dr Cabras in the research funded by the British Academy.

“While the impact of rural pubs on the community has long been understood to positively benefit the community, this report is the first time that the direct impact of pubs on the local community has been proved.”

Pubs in England have experienced a significant decline in the past two decades directly impacting on the way rural communities interact with each other, with areas that have a lower number of pubs showing lower levels of community cohesion according to the report.

There are now just over 49,000 pubs in Britain today, compared with 69,000 in 1980, a result of factors like the rise of drinking at home, reported to have leapt 15% in the last five years.

“The English rural pub is not simply a place for drink, it has become a hub for the community’s infrastructure offering events, support and friendship. Pubs function as physical hubs which foster engagement and involvement amongst the community, as well as creating jobs for locals and local suppliers,” said Dr Cabras.

John Longden, Chief Executive of advisory group Pub is The Hub, said: “While there is no direct link with the study and Pub is The Hub, the aims and objectives of both are complementary and confirm the significance of these businesses in the British rural context.

“In rural areas pubs act as essential melting pots for bringing the community together from all walks of life and this study concludes that it is yet another vital services that the countryside cannot afford to lose.”

Dr Cabras carried out the research on the role village pubs play in creating community cohesion in rural England, demonstrating the important social, economic and community functions they play in maintaining village life.

The 18-month research programme looked at 2,769 English communities and focused on pubs in rural areas with fewer than 3,000 people situated at least five miles from towns.

The researchers examined information such as the availability of local facilities and services, the size of the resident population and the level of employment, which they then used to measure levels of community cohesion and well-being.

Further analysis conducted on a sub-sample of 293 parishes on information between 2000 and 2010 confirmed that the positive effects pubs have on rural communities are maintained over time.

These findings match those gathered from a similar study on rural pubs in Ireland completed by Dr Crabras at the beginning of 2014.