A landlord has been ordered to tear down a terraced beer garden shelter despite putting his 'heart and soul' into transforming the pub. Bosses say this comes after just one resident complained about it despite its use for the community.
The terrace at the Alexandra Hotel in Darwen is yet to be finished but has still cost £13,000 as building material prices increased due to the cost of living crisis. Pub bosses applied for retrospective planning permission to complete the decking, but this has been rejected by Blackburn with Darwen Council.
Paul Dean and John Scott run the pub and say they have worked tirelessly over the last 18 months to save the pub from potential demolition. It is now a thriving, family-friendly venue, they say, hosting a number of community events and a foodbank.
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The covered shelter opened in time for bonfire night last November, which is when the planning issues started. "We checked with the building owners if we needed planning permission but we were told because it was free standing, it wasn't necessary," Paul told LancsLive.
"We got it finished enough to use for Bonfire Night but then a single resident complained about it and it led to us being asked to apply for retrospective planning permission. These residents complain about everything, such as motorbikes revving their engines and I do understand as they have a young family but they also live on a busy road opposite a pub.
"We built the shelter with the best intentions, because customers asked for it and we needed a covered outdoor space for smokers to be tucked away, so they didn't congregate in the doorway when it is raining. We have put our heart and soul into the pub. We barred so many people and sorted out the issues, we really feel like we have saved it."
The council's rejection letter to Paul says the structure isn't "aesthetically pleasing" but he feels the process has not been "in-keeping with standard applications". Paul added that he hired a specialist planning consultant to assist with the application, who he says is "shocked" at the "straight denial", without a site visit or asking for alternations or changes to the shelter.
"There has been no conversation with the council, no dialogue at all. We are willing to change it or adapt," he said. "I feel like our application was just put to one side. We put the shelter up for the health and safety of the children, so they didn't have to walk past smokers at the entrance. Parents bring their kids for a bit to play on the grass because they don't have gardens at home.
"It isn't even finished because we didn't see the point in spending more money until we sorted the planning out. The roof is currently felted but it was going to be tiled."
Paul says he plans to "lawyer-up" and appeal to council's decision, with the cost of tearing it down potentially much more than the £8k to get professionals to do it, with some of the wooden beams 8m tall. "We have six months to appeal so we can get through summer but may have to rip it down before Christmas, and then who knows," Paul said. "I just want to know what they expect us to do, without it actually being a full brick extension. "
A report by planning officer Christian Barton stated: “Public comments have been received objecting as additional noise impacts may be caused. The covered decking area adjacent to the pub itself makes it more likely that customers will congregate and use this area late into the night."
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Planning Manager Gavin Prescott said: “In short, the structure that Mr Dean has built does not comply with the planning permission Admiral Taverns was granted in 2020 and is of poor design. We feel that it would be very difficult to modify the existing structure to an acceptable form. The only realistic way forward would be to rebuild the canopy in accordance with the planning permission Admiral Taverns was granted in 2020.
“A Planning Officer was in touch with the architect during the assessment process, primarily to share concerns over the development’s poor appearance and to be clear that we would not recommend approval of retrospective planning permission.”
Council officials say they have shared a copy of the planning decision report with the landlord’s architect, as well as an explanation "regarding the best way forward".
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