Questions to the Mayor of London – answered at on 22 November 2021.
Further to 2021/1810, does the GLA know many pubs have permanently closed in London as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic?
This is not data the GLA currently holds but work is underway to update the annual audit of pubs in London, to help analyse changes in numbers of pubs.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on London’s pubs. My London Plan gives the strongest ever protection to London’s pubs encouraging boroughs to protect them and by introducing the Agent of Change principle, which requires that new developments near pubs minimise the impact of noise through adequate soundproofing.
In 2019, I launched the first ever Cultural Infrastructure Plan and Map for London which records numbers of cultural venues and facilities and sets out what is needed to protect and grow them. This data informed my £2.3 million Culture at Risk Business Support Fund, which helped protect 125 businesses during the pandemic. This included grassroots music venues and LGBTQ+ venues, which are often situated in pubs. My expanded Culture and Community Spaces at Risk Office has supported over 850 businesses since March 2020.