Report of the Meeting Held Monday, 25th October 2021

PUB GOVERNING BODY LTD ENGLAND & WALES

Minutes of a meeting of the board of directors of the Company held on Zoom, Monday, 25th October 2021 at 11am

Present:                                                                                                    Apologies:

Sir Peter Luff (Chairman) – (SPL)                                                             Bill Sharpe – (BS)

Mike Clist – (MC)                                                                                         Emma McClarkin – (EM)

Kate Nicholls – (KN)                                                                                   Andy Tighe – (AT)

Nick Griffin – (NG)

George Barnes – (GB)

Martin Caffrey – (MCa)

Jayson Perfect – (JP)

James Anderson – (JA)

Fiona Moran – (FM)

 

  1. Preliminary

The Chairman noted that the meeting had been duly convened, that a quorum of five directors were present in accordance with the Articles of Association and declared the meeting open.

 

  1. Minutes of the last meeting Monday, 14th June 2021

The Chair proceeded with the meeting by requesting that the minutes of the meeting held on 14th June 2021 to be proposed as a true and accurate record.  The Board approved the minutes.

Matters Arising

2a.    SPL asked if the application from Michael Hughes the Independent Expert had been    approved for the PIRRS Panel, MC confirmed he had been approved.

 

  1. PICA-Service Update of Cases
  • FM advised the Board that there had been no new potential PICA-Service case enquiries since the last PGB meeting.

 

  1.   PIRRS case update
  • FM gave an update on the open PIRRS Cases.
  • There are two open PIRRS cases, one of which is currently with the Independent Expert waiting for an outcome, one may have been settled out of PIRRS currently waiting for confirmation from the tenant.
  • There have been three enquiries awaiting application forms and payment.
  • One case has been determined and closed and two cases closed and settled out of PIRRS, all within the nine-month timeframe.

 

  1. Request for PIRRS to cover Free of Tie Pubs
  • MC was approached by one of the surveyors asking if a Free of Tie Rent belonging to a company governed by the Pubs Code could go to PIRRS. MC informed the said party that this would need to be agreed by the PGB Board and over 500 pub companies for it to proceed. Following discussions with the over 500 companies they have reported that they are not happy to allow Free of Tie rents to proceed to PIRRS. The matter was therefore closed.
  • NG asked if it would be sensible to have an in-principal decision. MC stated decisions the Board makes only covers the under 500 companies and without the support of the Pub Code Companies this cannot be taken forward. After discussion it was agreed to put it on the agenda for the next board meeting.

Actions

  • MC to write to the party concerned.
  • FM to include the topic on the next Board Agenda.

 

  1. 5th Annual Audit Report
  •  MC gave an outline on the annual audit, the board agreed to include the sentence commending the companies for the help they have given to their tenants during the COVID pandemic.
  • MC raised the concern over the lack of companies using the new PGB logo and has discussed this with AT and EM.
  • GB also noticed there was a difference in figures for Tied Premises and those with Protected Agreements. Since the meeting MC has re-checked the figures given and amended the report, there was a small error with one pub company, 5 of their TAWs were down as protected, MC thanked GB for raising this point.
  • The Board approved the Report.

 

  1. Accounts Update – Year Ending 31st July 2021 & Budget for Year Ending 31/07/22
  • MC presented the year end accounts with the board and informed them that there had been a substantial drop in pub numbers covered by the Code due to the loss of Youngs, Hawthorn and Brains.
  • MC informed the Board that because the annual fee of £18 per pub had been set prior to any knowledge of pubs transferring to companies owned by the Pubs Code companies that he predicted a loss in the current financial year ending July 2022 of circa £10,000 which would reduce our balance sheet to £7,000.
  • MC continued by saying that the fee would need to be raised from £18 to circa £28 per pub next year. This would cover the loss this year of the three companies already mentioned plus the loss of the 500 odd Scottish pubs as they move to their own Scottish Pub Code and Adjudicator.
  • MC proposed that the board accept the accounts for 2021, GB seconded it all voted in favour of the accounts.

 

  1. Update on the Code of Practice
  •  MC gave an update on the Code of Practice, the IFBB are in the process of reviewing the under 500 codes and employed John Draper ex Thwaites to carry out project. There have been several recommendations made to the Executive Board of the IFBB and these have now been passed to the full IFBB council for approval.
  • GB has been involved with the discussions and informed the board that there are some good changes particularly around inventories.
  • MC suggested once the amendments have been approved by IFBB companies they would be circulated to the Board for consideration by correspondence between board meetings, or, if necessary, in a special meeting of the board: failing that, the new draft would be placed on the agenda of the next regular PGB board meeting.

Actions

  • MC to circulate the Code of Practice amendments if received before the next PGB meeting in January 2022

 

  1. AOB
  • No comments raised.

 

  1. Date and Time of Next Meeting
  • FM to send out Doodle Poll for late January 2022 early February 2022, to be held on Zoom
  • It was agreed to meet in person around June 2022.

 

 

Meeting Closed.

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