A Street bar owner has blasted government plans to extend licensing hours — calling the move "utterly ridiculous" and warning it will cripple struggling venues even further.

Mark Tobin, who runs the Loft Lounge & Bar and has spent more than 35 years in hospitality, said the proposals would pile pressure on businesses already at breaking point.

"This would be no help to the industry whatsoever," he said. "All this would do is increase our already crippling operational running costs."

The plans are part of a shake-up of the Licensing Act 2003, aimed at boosting the night-time economy. Key measures include:

• Longer opening hours for pubs, bars and restaurants
• A new National Licensing Policy Framework to streamline red tape
• "Hospitality zones" with relaxed rules for outdoor dining, live music and trading hours
• A push to make "economic growth" a factor in licensing decisions

But Tobin said the reforms miss the point — and called for "tangible immediate changes to help bring the cost of operating the business down."

"If I had to pick one cost that would help the industry most directly it would be a reduction of VAT to the hospitality industry," he added.

The Loft in Street

He warned that consumer habits have shifted sharply in recent years, with fewer people going out and many businesses now closing early to cut costs.

"If there are customers in and spending then keep going… however if it's empty by 9.00pm/9.30pm the business is empty I lock it down — fast."

Tobin also laid bare the true cost of staffing. "The cost to the employer for say a £12.50 an hour worker is actually closer to £16.75" once on-costs are added, he said.

"In rural areas and as a destination venue there would be no benefit whatsoever to longer opening hours… It is time to lower taxes, lower costs and equally lower consumers' financial burdens who in turn will have more disposable income to help the cogs of industry turn."

Mark's statement in full:

This would be no help to the industry whatsoever and not what we are looking for. Everyone in the trade works excessively long hours anyway, even more so now trying to make ends meet and earn a living. In fact, extended hours would have a massively negative impact on some businesses. In a post-COVID world and throughout this period of cost of living crisis, the general public are not only going out less but have less money to spend on social activities when they do go out. How would extending hours when there is no additional custom to be had help? All this would do is increase our already crippling operational running costs further.

What we need are tangible, immediate changes to help bring the cost of operating the business down to support the industry — the biggest burden currently being business rates and VAT.

The increase in National Insurance and ever-increasing minimum wage has hurt us all. As much as we understand there should be a minimum wage to try and balance the cost of living, on average the cost of an hourly rate is 30% more than just minimum wage. By the time you add in holiday pay, pension, NI and other on-costs, the cost to the employer for, say, a £12.50 an hour worker is actually closer to £16.75 an hour. This is the same across all sectors of industry, not just hospitality.

The general public, with less disposable income than ever, have changed their habits. As an industry we have all adapted to this change as best we can, often with reduced opening hours or closing the business down on nights when there is little, if any, business to be had — to save on costs. My philosophy is: if there are customers in and spending, then keep going. However, if there is a night that, say, by 9.00pm / 9.30pm the business is empty, I lock it down — fast. The cost of keeping a business open even for an extra hour — with all the lights on, heating on and sometimes a member of staff to pay — would more than absorb the spend of a late customer, so you actually save money by closing early. I have noticed many businesses now operate like this. I call this tap hours — if there is money to be had, keep the tap on; if there is not, turn it off "tightly".

The economic pressures on our businesses have made us think more outside the box, which is sometimes not a bad thing. We don't just sit here waiting for business to walk through the door — you can't! This would be commercially suicidal. We market to the right audience at the right time and carefully maximise every opportunity that comes our way as best we can.

Particularly in rural areas and as a destination venue, there would be no benefit whatsoever to longer opening hours. It is time to lower taxes, lower costs, and equally lower consumers' financial burdens — who in turn will have more disposable income to help the cogs of industry turn. I don't feel the government really understands just how tough things are for people, especially outside of the big cities.

Cocktails at The Loft

Consumers' habits have changed massively over the past 5 to 10 years, and as an industry we have adapted to most of those changes. We do live in a more health-conscious world, with less drinking and going out, and more interest in the younger generations in fitness and home entertaining. Many people re-educated themselves during COVID, for example, and learnt how easy it was to entertain at home — to build a garden kitchen or garden bar and entertain at home for, understandably, a fraction of the cost of going out. There is also, post-COVID, a stronger infrastructure in place for home dining with takeaway deliveries and services such as Deliveroo, Uber Eats, HelloFresh, Just Eat, to name a few. These are all diluting the existing drinking and dining out market.

People do still go out, although I do now feel people go out only for a reason — such as a birthday, an anniversary or a wedding. They don't just get home and say, "Where shall we go out to eat tonight?"

Hospitality is currently struggling with the lowest profit margins ever. I have been in the industry for nearly four decades and have seen many changes over the years. However, the changes in the past 5 years have been the most significant. I opened my business in the shadows of COVID & Brexit 4 years ago. Since then, we have seen the cost of living spike, utilities go through the roof, fuel prices at an all-time high (although slightly lower again now, thankfully), and the ongoing inflation challenges.

Couple this with uncertainty in the global markets and international conflicts, we are sailing in the midst of a perfect storm — and need help! With the right support and help, the industry can survive. Most of us are strong and robust, with many operating their own businesses (helping to lower costs). We're a resilient bunch, us lot — but there is only so long that we can sustain this current squeeze and pressure.

If I had to pick one cost that would help the industry most directly, it would be a reduction of VAT to the hospitality industry — especially food-led businesses that don't have a VAT claim on food coming in but pay 20% on food sales going out. There is a huge misbalance with very little offset. I truly believe that many consumers don't understand the concept that 20% of every pound they spend is actually Value Added Tax.

I love this industry, always have and always will. I love looking after people and seeing people leave my business with a smile on their face. We live in hope for some help around the corner to keep our wonderful industry alive. Fingers crossed for some good news in the Autumn Budget in November.

• More local stories:

• Local woman pulls out own teeth amid NHS crisis
• Shepton Mallet restaurant backs local football club
• Local schools reveal GCSE results as 2025 data released

Sign up to your nearest Nub News newsletter — Get the top stories from across the area every Friday.