The Government is to consult over the use of restrictive covenants in the licensed trade, following representations that the sale of pubs with covenants attached stipulating that they will not be used as pubs in the future is, in some cases, damaging to the local community.
It is thought that the Government favours an approach which will allow local authorities to consider the importance of the particular pub to the local community and decide on a case by case basis whether or not the restrictive covenant should be permitted.
The consultation closes on 25 October.