‘Over the moon’ - Pub landlord reacts after beer garden project given green light

A pub landlord has welcomed the granting of planning permission to create a new beer garden.

John Convey, of The Queen’s Head, in Eston, applied for change of use to landscape a small parcel of public land immediately to the west of the pub with the intention of adding tables, chairs and parasols.

Picket fencing at just under a metre high has also been proposed for the grassed area, which currently has no function, along with the addition of wildlife friendly plants.

Redcar and Cleveland Council’s regulatory committee approved the application at a meeting on Thursday.

Mr Convey has been at The Queen’s Head for 27 years.

The 65-year-old said the response to the planning outcome had been “very positive” locally and “everyone is over the moon”.

He said trade was holding up despite various pressures and indeed “doing better than it has ever done”.

Mr Convey said: “I will pay them [the council] a nominal amount of rent [for the land] annually, but if they feel it is not being run properly or there are complaints they can give notice to take away the facility.”

Eston ward councillor David Taylor, who spoke in support of the application, said: “The council will continue owning the land, but it is on a licence.

“He [Mr Convey] will maintain the land and pay an administration fee every year for it.”

He joked that “with all the warm weather we have been having, we need to be looking more like Spain with outside dining and drinking”.

Six objections in total were received by the council over the proposal for the corner of Guisborough Street and Gladstone Street with concerns about noise, litter and customer behaviour being aired.

In a Facebook post, Coun Taylor said such concerns were “completely understandable” and it was important the views of local residents were considered alongside the benefits of supporting a local business.

CCTV will cover the beer garden and clear signs will remind drinkers to show respect with permitted closing times advised upon.

Coun Taylor said: “Local pubs are an important part of our community and deserve support, where appropriate, provided there are suitable safeguards in place for residents.”

Ten letters of support for the application were received with comments describing the pub as a “well-managed establishment with no history of police involvement or significant issues arising from its operation”.

A council officer’s report considered by committee members highlighted how the beer garden’s hours of operation would be reduced compared to that of the pub.

The proposed hours of usage are 4pm to 8pm Monday to Thursday, 3pm to 8.30pm on Fridays, 2pm to 8.30pm on Saturdays and 12pm to 8pm on Sundays.

The report said: “The proposal represents a sustainable form of development by supporting the continued viability of a public house and local business.”

It said the principle of the change of use in the location was acceptable and described the seating area as “modest in scale”.

Meanwhile, the fence and planting would not result in an overbearing or dominating form of development.

Further public open land was found directly opposite the site, meaning there would not be a complete loss of publicly accessible green space within the immediate locality.

The council’s environmental protection team had no objection, but proposed a planning condition agreed by the applicant requiring the submission and implementation of a noise management plan to ensure that unacceptable disturbance was not caused to nearby residents.