Chesterfield pub landlords feel 'victimised' by Tier 3 decision

Hospitality venues must remain closed after the national lockdown comes to an end on December 2, after it was revealed the county will enter the Tier Three ‘Very High Alert’ level of the new localised tier system.

Publicans in the area are disappointed and fear for the measures’ impact on their livelihoods, staff and customers.

Lewis Brown, who runs The Hop Flower at Inkersall, said he was ‘deeply saddened’ by the news after spending a huge sum of money making the venue Covid-secure.

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“As a business we are concerned at what the future will hold,” he said.

“The Government’s Covid grants are a moderate help, we receive £1,332 per site but this only equates to around one-third of our overheads, even with the venues being closed."

Lewis added: “My main concern isn’t our income, it isn’t the bills that pile up beside the door, it’s our customers.

"We have a lot of the older generation visit us, some days we are the only human interaction that person will see, many of them are now widowed isolated and alone, and that is the harsh reality of the new tiering system, and my heart breaks for all of them.

"We are feeling victimised, our emails and concerns receiving a generic automated response from government officials, when will they step up and save this historic trade?”

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Trevor Marples, owner of Chesterfield’s Spotted Frog and the Butcher’s Arms in Brimington, said he was ‘extremely disappointed’ and struggling to understand the decision making.

"We are faced with continued frustration, and/or a logistical nightmare,” he added. “But we are pragmatic and if it is necessary for saving lives then so be it.”

Managing director of Van Dyk Hotel in Clowne, Marc Wildes, described the Tier Three decisions as ‘nothing short of ludicrous’.

In a letter to his MP, Bolsover’s Mark Fletcher, he said: “They will spell the end of the hospitality sector as we know it as many of the restaurants and pubs will simply never open again.”

The Government says there has been improvement in infection rates in Derbyshire, but ‘case rates remain very high at 275 per 100,000’ and ‘pressure on the NHS remains high’.

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.