Industry welcomes new PCA website

In March our brand-new website went live, and with our official launch in April, we have promoted it to all our stakeholders. We recognised that the needs of tied tenants could be better met on our own website away from Gov.uk, showing that the PCA exercises its functions, including offering Pubs Code dispute resolution, independently of government.   

For our work to be most effective, tied tenants need to be able to understand how the Pubs Code protects them and achieves fairness in the tied relationship for the duration of tenant journey. From budding entrepreneurs entering the industry for the first time, to the seasoned licensee several decades in, it is essential for the PCA’s website to be visible and accessible to anyone in a tied agreement with a regulated pub-owning business.  

Our “Know your rights” section provides information throughout the tenant journey - from when they are preparing to take on a new tied agreement and need to prepare their business plan, take professional advice, and negotiate their rent, through to the lifecycle of the tenancy including repairs, renewal of the pub agreement, rent assessments and considering the MRO option, to the end of the tenancy relationship, including assignment and dilapidations. There is also information on resolving problems with the pub company 

We would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to look around the site and generously share their feedback so far. 

We are also very grateful to our industry media for covering the launch – you can read about it on the Morning Advertiser, Pub & Bar, Caterer Licensee & Hotelier News and Beer Today.  

So, what has been said about the new website to us so far? 

Accessibility has been key and comments on the new layout, “clean and intuitive” and “far easier to navigate” were exactly what we hoped for. We want it to be easy to use, for everyone.  

We know that our refreshed and easy to find factsheets will be among our most used resources on the new website. “The factsheets are particularly helpful for summarising complex topics” was one of the comments shared with us.  

To coincide with the launch of the website we have created a fresh new brand which has been introduced to help reinforce the independence of the PCA. You might note nods to our industry woven into our look and feel, including the shield depiction, which ties us to our mission of “Protecting fairness in the tied tenant relationship”. Comments on our new look include: “Looks great!” and “such an improvement!”  

Alongside industry feedback, we were delighted that the quality of our website has received a prestigious award from The Web Excellence Awards, design. Winning in the Public Services category, this award reflects the high standards. 

It is our aim that the Pubs Code website will provide a long-term foundation for our efforts to uphold the Pubs Code’s core principals of fair and lawful dealing by pub-owning businesses and that tied pub tenants should be no worse off than they would be if they were not subject to any product or service tie. We will shortly be bringing important new additions to the website – including a searchable database of published Pubs Code arbitration awards and summaries, our register of breaches self-reported by pub companies, as well as video content and further information resources. 

If this is the first time you’re seeing our site, or your first interaction with the Pubs Code Adjudicator, please do look around our website. We’d recommend starting with information on ’what we do and how we do it’.  And if you have any feedback, positive or otherwise, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.