A LANDLORD who was left shattered when he was ordered to tear down his pub’s new beer garden has told how he won in the end.
Paul Dean, 48, worked tirelessly for 18 months to renovate the Alexandra Hotel in Darwen, Lancashire.
Paul, who runs the hotel with his pal and manager John Scott, 62, poured his “heart and soul” – and £13,000 – into the project.
He then feared all his work would amount to nothing when council workers ordered that he remove the terrace.
The duo – who claim to have saved the pub from potential demolition – attributed the high cost to materials doubling in price during the ongoing cost of living crisis.
They applied for retrospective permission to construct a raised decking area with a canopy – only to be rejected by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council planners.
The council said in its rejection letter that the structure isn’t “aesthetically pleasing”, according to local media.
Paul said he believed the council’s orders to rip down the beer garden stemmed from a single complaint from a local resident.
He told Lancs Live in May last year: “We checked with the building owners if we needed planning permission but we were told because it was free standing, it wasn’t necessary.
“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.”
Paul said he and John built the shelter “with the best intentions” and because their customers had asked for it.
He continued: “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.”
Months later, the Darwen landlord was finally given the green light to keep the expensive beer garden, Lancs Live reports.
But there were conditions to it being allowed to operate, including that Paul paint it grey and use natural slates for the roof.
And the beer garden’s hours of operation were restricted from 8am to 11pm to “prevent the broadcasting of amplified music”.
We have put our heart and soul into the pub … we really feel like we have saved it
Paul Dean
Planning officer Christian Barton told Lancs Live: “The building has ornate natural stone elevations, a slate roof and white doors and windows. It is an early-Victorian former manor house built in a lingering Georgian style.
“This application seeks retrospective consent to retain and finish a raised decking area with associated canopy which provides a covered outdoor seating area.
“The structure has been constructed from timber and it currently has a felt lined shallow mono-pitched roof. A timber balustrade has also been installed enclosing the raised platform area.
“The application is a resubmission with a number of design improvements now proposed.”
He added: “I have no objection but have concerns about the potential impact should the outside decking area be used up until the pub closing time of 1:30 am Thursday to Friday and 00:30 on all other nights.
“The pub is surrounded by a residential area. 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.”