|
|
| Question
|
|
Our local pub has been closed down for a while because the old licensee has left. When will it be re-opened? Why don’t you just install a new manager?
|
| Answer |
|
We lease our pubs out to people who run them as their own businesses and they leave and move on for many reasons. If at all possible, we try to find a new licensee before the old one leaves to ensure continuity. We know that a closed pub is no use to anyone, so if your local is currently closed, we’re probably trying to find a new leaseholder to give it a new future.
Leases are purchased and are generally seen as a cost effective way of entering the pub trade. A freehold pub can be a very expensive purchase beyond the means of many aspiring licensees. Leaseholders aren’t Punch employees as a manager would be. As such, we have to recruit a new leaseholder and go through all the necessary legal processes before they can takeover. This can take up to 8 – 10 weeks.
|
| Back to the Top
| |
|
|
|
| Question
|
|
The staff at the pub we went to last night were rude and inefficient. Who do we complain to?
|
| Answer |
|
The staff at Punch pubs are not Punch employees. They work for the leaseholder who is generally (but not always) the licensee on site. Punch has no input into their recruitment and selection or the terms of their employment. If they don’t come up to scratch for any reason, issues should be raised with their employers – the lease holder of the pub.
|
| Back to the Top
| |
|
|
|
| Question
|
|
I used to work at a Punch Taverns pub but the licensee sacked me for no reason. What can I do about it?
|
| Answer |
|
As you were an employee of a Punch leaseholder and not of Punch Taverns plc, you will have to raise grievances with them. Punch can’t intervene in this kind of issue.
|
| Back to the Top
| |
|
|
|
| Question
|
|
The beer / food at the pub we visited recently was well below acceptable standard and I want to complain. What are you going to do about it?
|
| Answer |
|
Customer service is entirely the responsibility of the provider of that service who is the leaseholder of the pub in question. While Punch own the property, we don’t own the business which is run in it and can’t dictate to leaseholders how to conduct their own business.
We do, however, have field based Business Relationship Managers who regularly liaise with the lease holder on a range of business issues and any comments we receive are always passed on for reference and action.
|
| Back to the Top
| |
|
|
|
| Question
|
|
My garden is next to your pub car park. The fence has fallen down and the trees are overgrown and overhanging my garden. How do I get it fixed?
|
| Answer |
|
Many of our leases are on full repairing terms, which means that the lease holder is responsible for this type general maintenance. Your first port of call must be with the leaseholder who is generally the licensee on site. However, in the event that this first approach does not get the matter rectified, it’s worth raising the issue with us so that we can check the status of our agreement with the licensee on site.
|
| Back to the Top
| |
|
|
|
| Question
|
|
I live across the road from one of your pubs and I see you’re planning to install a mobile phone mast on your roof / change it into an Indian restaurant / convert it into a private dwelling. I object to this and want you to re-consider.
|
| Answer |
|
Decisions about the use of our properties for commercial purposes other than trading as a public house are made after due consideration of all the factors involved, including the financial issues, local opinion, feasibility, the views of the lease holder and other things. Each case is considered on its merits as the pubs are unique in their communities and we are always prepared to listen to local opinions before making commercial decisions. Please feel free to contact us.
|
| Back to the Top
| |
|
|
|
| Question
|
|
The landlord of our local has stopped us parking on the pub car park when we go shopping locally. Surely the car park is a right of way and we can park there if we wish – even if we’re not going to the pub?
|
| Answer |
|
Our pubs and their car parks and gardens are private property and are not public rights of way in the same way as a road might be. In some cases, rights of way do exist over the land, but these are simply rights to pass over the land, usually to access neighbouring property. Even where a right of way does exist, this usually applies to a defined corridor over the land and doesn’t give general permission to use the whole area as a public space.
Car parks are for the use of pub patrons and the licensee has every right to control and limit the use of the space to pub customers if he/she so wishes in order to protect his custom and ensure people who are using the pub can park there.
|
| Back to the Top
| |
|
|
|
| Question
|
|
Can I have a full list of your estate please? I’d like to know which pubs in my area are Punch pubs as I want to sell my product or service to them.
|
| Answer |
|
We don’t issue full estate lists to general enquirers. The nature of our business relationship with our leaseholders is such that they have the right to trade independently of Punch and many of them guard that independence closely, not wishing to be seen as part of a large group. We fully respect that independence and feel that our pubs should be as individual as the people who lease them and communities they serve.
|
| Back to the Top
| |
|
|
|
| Question
|
|
Do you ever sell the freehold of your pubs?
|
| Answer |
|
Yes, we do sell our pubs from time to time, but disposal decisions are made on a pub by pub basis and are based on commercial considerations. If there is a specific property you have an interest in, please ask us: but please be prepared for us to say “no”…!
|
| Back to the Top
| |
|