A PUB landlord is opening on Monday — but only after eleventh hour changes, inspections and jumping through hoops to meet all the red tape requirements. Jay Chapman, of Ye Olde Village Inn in Bembridge, said he wonders if all pubs will be ready to open, such is the changing advice from officials in the days and weeks beforehand.

He said: "I understand we need to be safe and compliant and we are very willing to comply, but it’s the moving goal posts at the eleventh hour that businesses like ours cannot afford, either financially or physically within the time frame set.

"Had all this been advised a month ago we could have adapted to work with the council, which is our only aim. We are not looking for a fight, however we need a fair and safe field to play on.

"We are not only Pub of the Year 2020, but we’re were one of the first businesses to adapt and comply fully from the start date of July 4, 2020, when everyone else around us was only being advised and not enforced." The pub turned its outside areas into Covid safe gardens, complete with booths and different areas to aid social distancing.

Now he has had to adapt them further to suit the new regulations for outdoor seating, and they were inspected on Easter Sunday.

Although he thought the areas complied, on Friday, just one working day before opening, he was told he needs to make further adjustments to qualify as 'outdoor' seating.

He said: "I have spoken to other businesses and they don't seem to have had visits or this extra guidance.

"Forced closures due to lockdown saw the pub lose £35,000 worth of food and drink in March 2020, £35,000 worth in November and a further £14,000 after Christmas.

"This time, our ordering and perishable goods were all organised over a week ago, before this visit, and are not refundable or able to reject upon delivery.

"We are making the adjustments so we can open and I am not trying to be a thorn in anyone's side, but I'm lucky I've currently got a team of builders in who can carry out the work.

"I would imagine there's going to be a few pubs that won't be opening on Monday."

Isle of Wight County Press: Outside seating at Bembridge's Old Village InnOutside seating at Bembridge's Old Village Inn

The Isle of Wight Council said the law was agreed on March 25 and the Village Inn was contacted the next day.

Following further emails and correspondence and photographs a Covid Support Officer visited on Sunday and advised that the structures were not compliant. It was visited again on Friday.

It is the government that determines the rules and regulations businesses must abide by, and the council said these regulations are clear and use exactly the same definitions it uses to describe smoking shelters, which also must be outdoors.

An IW Council spokesperson explained: "There is no latitude in either of these definitions and council officers must apply them consistently across all businesses.

"This also helps them to be fair in how they apply the regulations as there is no element of subjectivity allowed for in the judgement about indoors or outdoors.

"Council staff will do all they can to help businesses to reopen, but their first responsibility is to protect the health of the public."

Council officers have been providing information, advice and guidance about the rules.

The council, the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce and Visit Isle of Wight have been hosting advisory webinars this week to help businesses prepare for re-opening.