Basildon and Southend pubs slam proposed smoking ban

Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed ministers are looking at a potential outdoor smoking ban, which could include pub gardens, outdoor restaurants, nightclubs, outside sports venues, hospitals, and some small parks.

The Labour leader believes the move will help cut the number of people smoking and “lower the burden” on the NHS.

Angry - Lynne Mohseni, of The Gun Pub, and keyholder Katrina (Image: The Gun Pub)

However, pub bosses have said they are “completely opposed” to the proposed ban and fear the impact could be disastrous.

Nathan Collings, landlord of the Brookside Tavern in Eastwood, said: “The no smoking inside pubs killed the pub trade to be honest, it still is. If there is no-smoking beer gardens, people wouldn’t even come into a pub.

“People love a pint and a cigarette, for a law to be brought in where people can’t smoke in beer gardens, it will just kill the trade even more.

“It will have a massive effect on me and my pub.

“If you’re a no-smoking premises, both inside and outside, people that smoke will not come to your pub.

“What’s the point in having a beer garden?”

Massive effect - Nathan Collings, pub landlord of Brookside Tavern (Image: Brookside Tavern)

He added many pubs have separated beer gardens with designated no-smoking areas, and believes the potential ban would be heavy handed.

Lynne Mohseni, owner of The Gun Pub in Pitsea, said the proposed ban represents another attack on the hospitality sector, and questioned how pubs and restaurants would cope with this.

She added: “This is another nail in the coffin for hospitality, also this is also policing people’s own common sense.

“A pub is used for socialising and a safe space for people to relax.

“The hospitality industry in general is being targeted one way or another.

“In five years time, there may be no pubs left. This is a tradition whereby it should be safeguarded.”

Busy - The Gun Pub beer garden (Image: The Gun Pub)

Joseph Taylor, general manager of The Gun Pub, added: “Whilst the health of the nation is obviously an important issue for any government to consider, I think banning people smoking in hospitality settings is ridiculous, if people want to smoke, they will and also arguably any adult should be allowed to do so.

“Governments shouldn’t be placing their metaphorical foot on our heads as we come up for air, with this and undoubtedly more bad news come the October budget.

“Surely the government have more pressing issues the nation would like to see them concentrating on.”

Announcing the news, the Prime Minister said: “My starting point on this is to remind everyone that over 80,000 people lose their lives every year to smoking, that’s a preventable death, it’s a huge burden on the NHS and of course on the taxpayer.

“So, yes we are going to take decisions in this space. More details will be revealed but this is a preventable cause of deaths and we’ve got to take the action to reduce the burden on the NHS and reduce the burden on the taxpayer.”