Bar owners in Jesmond say they are being unfairly affected by current lockdown measures, despite government efforts to help with an extension to the furlough scheme.

“Businesses aren’t being given enough to cover standing costs,” said Neil Day, owner of The Blue Bell pub in Jesmond Vale. “Bars are the heart and soul of the community. I feel this lockdown is an assault on hospitality as very little else is closed.”

The British Beer and Pub Association predicts that almost a third of pubs in England may not survive this latest lockdown. In Jesmond, revenue from returning students since September has brought some relief for local bars, most of which are independently owned. However, others share Day’s concern. “It has been difficult,” said Amica Puri, owner of Bar Blanc on Osborne Road. “Our takings have remained high due to upped prices, but we have also needed extra staff and PPE [personal protective equipment], which means we are just breaking even.”

Local residents express mixed views about the temporary closure of bars. “I would think locals would be quite pleased [with the measures], as Osborne Road can be a nightmare with students,” said one Jesmond resident, Lisa Shaw.

However, Katie Merrington, a Northumbria University student, said: “You take away socialising in a bar with friends, and it creates a sense of isolation. I feel as though my freedoms have been taken away.

“But I do feel more connected with the community. You see a lot more students out on nice walking routes in Jesmond, rather than staying inside their houses.”

Another student, Katie Partridge, said she would normally visit Jesmond bars twice a week, and would typically spend around £15 over the course of one night. Fellow student Callum Davies told JesmondLocal that he would spend a similar amount, visit up to five or six bars in an evening.

“I’m sure bars will have made a lot of money in the period between the two lockdowns, and that’ll probably be enough to sustain them,” he said.

It’s a view shared by Matthew Ruscillo, an employee at The Lonsdale pub in west Jesmond, who said that as the pub is part of the Greene King chain, “they’ve got a lot of money to fall back on”.

Current lockdown measures, including the closure of pubs, bars and non-essential stores, are set to expire on Wednesday 2nd December, but could be extended. Following the relaxation of rules in July, Bar Blanc owner Amica Puri said that despite efforts to introduce PPE, sanitisers, and doormen to encourage safety and social distancing, “people were not listening to the rules.”