Call for evidence from Star Pubs Tied Tenants

PCA Seeks views from tied tenants on failures by Star Business Development Managers to provide meeting notes

A key part of the Pubs Code Adjudicator’s (PCA’s) role is to promote the rights that tied tenants have under the Pubs Code. An important one of those rights is the right to be provided, within 14 days, with appropriate written notes of any discussions between the tied tenant and their Business Development Manager (BDM) about anything connected with: rent proposals; rent assessments (or assessments of money payable in lieu of rent); repairs to the premises; or current or future business plans.

The PCA has been made aware by Star Pubs that some notes of meetings between Star Pubs BDMs and their tied tenants about these matters were not sent to the tenant (either within 14 days or at all) or were incomplete if they were. These notes mainly relate to meetings that happened between 2018 and 2023 but could also relate to meetings that happened in 2024.

If this has happened to you, the PCA would like you to come forward to the Star Code Compliance Officer, copying in the PCA, with any information about what happened and about any adverse impacts on your business you have experienced as a result. The purpose of this call for evidence is so that the PCA can better understand the impact of failure to provide meeting notes on tied tenants. The PCA will consider any responses to the call for evidence in deciding any regulatory action it may take.

• Did you have a meeting with your Star Business Development Manager between January 2018 and December 2024 where you discussed rent, repairs or business planning?
• If so, were you provided with a written record of the meeting?
• Was the record provided within 14 days?
• Did it accurately and completely reflect what was discussed during the meeting? If not, what was incomplete or inaccurate about the note?
• If the note was incomplete or inaccurate, did you ask for it to be corrected? If so, was that done satisfactorily?
• If the note was not provided or was incomplete or inaccurate, did you experience any negative impacts on your business as a result? If so, what negative impacts did you experience?
  
  

Please submit any comments to your Star Pubs Code Compliance Officer, copying in the Pubs Code Adjudicator at office@pubscodeadjudicator.gov.uk. The CCO for Star Pubs is Lynne Winter. She can be contacted via pubscode@starpubs.co.uk. Deadline for response is 19 August.

Useful Links

• Star Pubs - Pubs Code 
• The Scottish Pubs Code Regulations 2024
• British Institute of Innkeeping
• Welcome to RICS
• The Law Society