Following complaints from licensees and football fans in Wales, pubs there, which were not originally included in legislation to allow premises to apply for a temporary event notice, will be able to stay open late for England World Cup matches.
After introducing new legislation to allow licensed premises to open for longer without needing permission, Home Secretary Theresa May said originally that the relaxed rules would not apply to Wales.
This followed a consultation in which 1,095 fans said they supported the move to make it easier for pubs to stay open later. However, only 25 Welsh people responded to it, with 19 of them saying they were in favour of relaxation.
However, the extension could now be used by pubs in Wales for England’s opening game against Italy on June 14, which is due to kick off at 23:00 BST, and for games in the knockout stages, where there are several 21:00 BST kick-offs, where the extension would be handy if games go into extra time – assuming that England reaches those stages, of course.
According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), the UK’s economy could benefit to the tune of £2bn from the World Cup, with the biggest winners being pubs and bars showing the matches on big screens and supermarkets catering for people watching at home. Therefore the licence extension could be a huge boost to the on-trade take.
The 2010 World Cup in South Africa saw the economy benefit by £1bn, with fans forking out an extra £124m on food and drink for every week that England remained in the tournament.
Landlords should note that premises in England and Wales can apply for the special licence for free from this Friday but that it will only apply to matches involving England.