Scottish Pubs Code Adjudicator: Corporate Plan 2025 – 2028

Foreword

by Sarah Havlin,

Scottish Pubs Code Adjudicator

As we navigate the evolving landscape of Scotland’s hospitality sector, it is essential that we uphold the principles of fairness, transparency, and accountability. The Scottish Pubs Code remains a cornerstone in fostering equitable partnerships between tied pub tenants and pub-owning businesses, promoting a thriving, sustainable industry for the future.

This 2025–2028 corporate plan sets out the strategic direction for the Scottish Pubs Code Adjudicator (SPCA) over the next three years. The SPCA plays a vital role in overseeing compliance with the Code, resolving disputes, and offering guidance to stakeholders. The plan also demonstrates our commitment to the regulatory principles for the sector – ensuring fair and lawful dealing, that no tied pub tenant is worse off than those without a tie and ensuring a fair share of risk and reward between pub-owning businesses and tied pub tenants.

The plan focuses on five key priority areas that will underpin our work during this period:

• Ensuring compliance with the Scottish Pubs Code through proactive monitoring, investigations where necessary, and clear guidance and support for both pub-owning businesses and tenants
• Strengthening transparency and stakeholder engagement by publishing regular reports and maintaining open communication across the tied pub sector
• Delivering robust dispute resolution and effective arbitration services, particularly around Market Rent Only (MRO) disputes, and evaluating the effectiveness of these processes
• Driving operational efficiency and strong governance, by setting clear performance indicators, embracing digital tools, and ensuring responsive, proportionate regulation
• Building credibility and trust as a new regulator by being visible, accessible, and evidence-led in everything we do

We believe this approach will position the SPCA as a confident and credible regulator—helping to deliver positive outcomes for pub-owning businesses, tied tenants, and the wider sector. Through collaboration, informed decision- making, and a shared commitment to fairness, we aim to support a dynamic and prosperous pub industry in Scotland.