A south Warwickshire landlady has branded the Government’s proposal to impose smoking bans in pub gardens as ‘yet another stick to beat the industry with.’
Emma Woodhouse, who has run The Fleur de Lys, in Lowsonford, for the last 10 years with her husband Nick, has spoken out following leaked news this week that the Prime Minister is considering tougher rules on outdoor smoking in England.
While health experts have welcomed the plans to ban smoking in spaces such as pub gardens, outdoor restaurants and sports grounds, universities and small parks, some publicans fear it could signal another blow the hospitality industry can ill afford, just as it recovers from the damaging effects of Covid and a cost of living crisis.
Emma said: “The sector as a whole has suffered so much over the last four years that this does feel like yet another stick to beat the industry with, as it doesn’t seem fair to just target hospitality businesses. What will the government do about all the smokers outside other workplaces or the hordes you see around hospital entrances regardless of the no smoking signs?”
She added: “Our customers who are smokers tend to stick to the designated smoking tables in our garden. We’re lucky that we have an acre of beer garden, so it is quite easy to segregate, but by the same token, the space is extremely vast and so it would be difficult to police the entire area if there was a smoking and vaping ban.
“People who smoke are pretty committed to it, so many will find a way if they want to do it, whether that’s moving into the car park or on to the roadside. For us, that would mean extra risk for customers in narrow country lanes with blind spots, but for more urban venues it will cause much wider issues around pavement licensing and how to contain pub-goers once they’re outside of the building.”
“It would be quite concerning for smokers to choose just to smoke at home instead, which would be more detrimental to them and could see real economic harm to pubs.”
The one-acre garden is a popular feature of the pub, which recently celebrated being named among The Top 100 Restaurants for Outdoor Dining in 2024 by OpenTable.
The Fleur de Lys, which sits on the banks of the Stratford Canal, was praised for being ‘ideally situated for walkers and ramblers who wish to explore the canal towpath or a variety of local walks’ and from where visitors enjoy unrivalled local views from 30 tables and benches and children’s play area.
While the details currently remain unclear, yesterday (Thursday) Sir Keir Starmer confirmed his government was ‘looking closely’ at the rules in a bid to ‘reduce the burden on the NHS.’
Tobacco use is the UK’s single biggest preventable cause of death, killing two-thirds of long-term users and causing 80,000 deaths every year.
In 2007, under the Labour government, smoking in enclosed public places and workplaces was made illegal across the UK.
The latest proposed restrictions would not cover private homes or large open spaces, such as parks, or streets.
Emma added: “If the Government feel that strongly about this issue they need to look at the source of the problem, not make it the work of already overstretched small business owners to tackle.
“Ultimately, we would like to see more detail from the government as this feels like it’s come a little out of the blue and we would hope that discussions with the relevant trade bodies will take place before any firm decisions are taken.”
The Fleur De Lys – which translates as Flower of Life – started out as a row of three 15th-century cottages which became canal workers’ accommodation that were later knocked together. It wasn’t until the early 20th century when it first opened as a tavern, later going on to introduce the ‘pioneering’ idea of serving food and giving rise to the now famous Fleur De Lys pies.
Visit: https://www.thefleur.co.uk/