A NEW era could be about to dawn for many of the nation’s pubs.

The Government is mulling over plans to create an industry tsar, overseeing the conduct of giant pub companies who are blamed for the demise of many bars.

But even if it happens, it will be too late for some publicans.

Stories in the Adver over the last few months chronicle an ongoing tale of woe for publicans and punters alike, with bars closing in their droves and landlords struggling to make a living.

One example is The George, in Eastcott Hill, which is now set to be sold off.

Its immediate neighbour, the Duke of Wellington, is set to be turned into apartments, sparking objections from the Eastcott community.

The Rodbourne Arms is to be demolished and turned into a supermarket, and the Queensfield also closed this month.

And, in the latest reported twist, the Royal George Inn, in Purton also shut its doors, taking away one of the village’s last remaining pubs.

Retired IT worker Hans Hoffbauer, 66, of Clifton Street, heads the Campaign For Real Ale in Swindon, and said things are looking grim.

“There are in the south west, at least two pubs closing every week,” he said.

“Nationally the figure varies between 30 and 40. There are a number of reasons.

“Not in any particular order of severity, one is the pub companies are charging too much rent to tenants and tenants aren’t making enough money.

“One thing a lot of tenants complain about is they are tied to buy their beer and wine and drinks from the pub companies and they know on the open market they could buy it a lot cheaper.

“That certainly doesn’t help.”

The cheap price of supermarket alcohol, and the fact that the county is in a recession, also add to the misery of publicans he said.

“Swindon may well not be any worse than the rest of the country,” he said. “It’s certainly not just a ‘Swindon problem’, put it that way.”

Now pubcos, such as Enterprise Inns and Punch Taverns, which own the most recent casualties The Queensfield and the Royal George Inn respectively, have come in for a battering by a Parliamentary select committee looking into the pub trade.

The Adver asked chairman Adrian Bailey how much pubcos had to answer for.

He said: “I think an awful lot. You cannot put a figure on it to say how many have closed as a result of the policies of the pub companies.

“But I think you could say that both the statistical evidence and the evidence we can see from driving around our communities is a clear demonstration that the pub companies’ business model is destroying vital community pubs.

“And the livelihoods of those who try and run them.”