Pub garden shut over falling debris from car park

Pub landlord Steve Wood says his beer garden was not safe to open

A pub landlord in Gloucester has said he has been forced to shut his beer garden due to the risk of debris falling from a council-owned car park.

Longsmith Street car park was closed in 2023 and partially reopened in 2024.

Steve Wood, landlord of the Cross Keys Inn, which is next door to the car park, said he still believed there was a risk of people getting hurt. One councillor said he had also repeatedly raised health and safety concerns about the car park.

Gloucester City Council said it carried out regular safety inspections on the building.

'Bits falling off it'

Mr Wood said running the pub had been a "tough road" as he took it on during Covid restrictions, and the risk of falling debris had not helped his business.

"When they shut down the car park because of the bits falling off of it, we noticed that there were bits in the garden, I'm not going to send people out there and put them in jeopardy of getting hurt or injured," he said.

The issue was raised at a meeting of the council's cabinet earlier this week, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Debris from the car park has been caught in netting over the pub's beer garden

Councillor Alastair Chambers said he had concerns over bird netting on the car park.

"As you know it led to the closure of the car park in 2023. We were offered sight of structural reports," he said.

"Rolling on nearly two years later, after frequent requests, I've been asking for these.

"I'm raising valid health and safety concerns about bird netting that has not been maintained and is holding significant weight of construction and delaminated concrete."

Works 'carried out'

Gloucester City Council said it had so far spent £293,000 on safety inspections and repairs.

A spokesperson for the council said: "We conduct regular safety inspections with external structural engineers and any recommendations for works that they make are carried out.

"If any issues are raised over the netting by the structural engineers following their safety inspections then these will be dealt with in accordance with their instructions."