Hampshire businesses appeal to landlords to stop 'tsunami' of closures due to lockdown

On Saturday, the prime minister announced a national lockdown across England to last until Wednesday, December 2, with an extension of the government’s furlough scheme.

Supermarkets and essential businesses will remain open – but hospitality businesses from restaurants to live music venues face closing once again this year.

Now the biggest question facing closed businesses is how they will pay their rent, according to Tim Hall, the founder of Pod and pizza restaurant Three Joes, which has its flagship venue in Fareham.

The businessman said: ‘There’s this tsunami approaching at the end of December, which is when the moratorium on rent comes to an end.

‘And there’s lots and lots of landlords that are not offering even 10p in terms of a reduction.

‘We’re facing the prospect of paying rent for a site closed for four months.

‘A lot of businesses are writing to their landlords and a lot of landlords are not responding.

‘We have not had that in Fareham, where we have a supportive landlord, but we have had (issues) elsewhere in the UK.’

The government’s moratorium prevents landlords from taking legal remedies for 2020's unpaid rent until the end of December.

Businesses need to know whether the moratorium will be extended as soon as possible, Tim added.

He said: ‘The government appears to be deliberately keeping announcements to the last minute.

‘It doesn’t help – a rent moratorium is a good example.

‘If they are not going to extend it, businesses will start collapsing.’

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Other business people across the area echoed the concerns, with negotiations with landlords becoming to vital to their business’s survival.

For pub landlady Sara Pollard-Dambach, who has run the Roebuck Inn in Wickham for the last two months, December was supposed to be the first month she pays rent to her landlord and begins her plan to buy the pub - saving it from proposals to turn it into flats.

Now she is in talks with her landlord. She said: ‘This is was supposed to be a three month period where we prove ourselves to him and grow as a company and buy the site one day.

‘This has put an oar in the works. (The landlord) has been one of the most fantastic men I have met.

‘The owner of the pub is really behind us.’

Long established venues are also relying on clemency and understanding from their landlords, with The Wedgewood Rooms enjoying a rent break as it cancels and looks to refund tickets on sold-out shows throughout November.

Owner Geoff Priestley said: ‘I have been extremely lucky with my landlord, who has been incredibly supportive throughout this – so rent isn’t an issue for me.

‘I’ve been told, ‘we’ll sort this out when we get through this’ – so it’s a rent break.

‘There are some landlords taking a more short term view.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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