MULTIPLE pubs in the region have closed or will close for a significant period of time as costs rocket for the hospitality sector. 

The most recent pubs include The Kings Arms in Hawkshead and The Cross Keys in Milnthorpe. South Lakes District Councillor Roger Bingham said that there are plans in place to refurbish the pub over the next three years. However, it is not exactly clear what the future of the pub will be.

READ MORE: The Kings Arms in Hawkshead announces closure due to 'rising running costs'

In a statement, The Cross Keys hotel said: "There are lots of factors involved with running this pub and the costs of doing so are getting out of hand. The brewery has decided to close the site and review the situation in future years. Thank you to everyone for your support over the years and hopefully, we will all meet again."

The Kings Arms in Hawkshead has also blamed the current costs of running a pub for its closure. It said: "With the rising costs of running a business and the bleak winter months ahead we have decided to close until next year." 

The hospitality sector is a vital part of Cumbria's tourism trade. This means that Cumbria Tourism has an interest in protecting and campaigning for the county's pubs as far as it can. 

Gill Haigh, the managing director for Cumbria Tourism said: "As an industry, tourism and hospitality have a disproportionately higher energy use than other sectors and the knock-on impact of this needs to be fully recognised. 

"Cumbria’s tourism businesses are unable to pass the prices directly onto its customers who are themselves already facing hardship.

"This coupled with the hardships of the last two years, the recruitment challenge, no business rate relief and VAT support, is proving extremely challenging for businesses.

 “The mini-budget, along with the recent announcement that energy bills for businesses will be capped for six months, was a welcome recognition of the need for action.

"However, there is still a need to clarify the longer-term arrangements for businesses tackling rising costs and inflationary pressures."

“We will continue to fight Cumbria’s corner through our ongoing lobbying work with MPs, key government departments and national industry bodies including The Tourism Alliance and UK Hospitality."