Greenwich pub wins fight to keep riverside seating

Greenwich Council had ordered all the outside furniture to be removed from the Thames Path as it deemed it "visual clutter"

The management team of a 200-year-old Greenwich riverside pub has been successful in appealing a council decision to remove most of its outdoor seating.

Greenwich Council had ordered the tables that snake around the Thames Path at the Trafalgar Tavern to be removed, saying they were a "visual clutter".

Landlord Frank Dowling told BBC London the appeal process had been "costly and arduous" but said: "We are thrilled, our staff are thrilled, our customers are thrilled."

Greenwich Council said that although its enforcement notice had been quashed by the Planning Inspectorate, the pub still had to submit "detailed plans" for future outside seating, which it had to approve.

"This is a positive outcome as it means there will be restrictions in place to safeguard the path from unnecessary clutter, making sure it is safe to use," a council spokesperson added.

Landlord Frank Dowling said he hoped to have a "positive relationship with the council going forward"

Mr Dowling had told the BBC that if the outside seating area was banned, staff would have lost their jobs.

He also said that while the appeal process had been under way, they had been unable to spend any money on the outside area, as they were uncertain as to its future.

"We now don't have to lose staff, and we can now invest in outside and make it better," Mr Dowling said.

"We would love to have a positive relationship with the council going forward - we'd like to work with the council - not against them," he added.

Mr Dowling went on to say: "We are just custodians of the Trafalgar, it's been here nearly 200 years.

"We're very proud of what we do here - we're creators of beautiful spaces and a phenomenal experience for thousands of people a year."

The Planning Inspectorate concluded in the appeal decision that permission is granted for an area of the Thames Pathway known as "The Knuckle" to be used as an external drinking and dining area for customers of The Trafalgar Tavern.

The permission to use this area is subject to the pub submitting a management plan to the council, within three months, detailing exactly how this area will be used, while keeping it safe for users of the Thames Path.

The Trafalgar Tavern dates back to 1837, having been a notable hub for merchants, sailors and politicians

A spokesperson for the Royal Borough of Greenwich said: "We've been clear throughout this process that we have a duty to make sure the Thames Path is accessible for everyone.

"It's a narrow stretch that is constantly in use, and it needs to be easy for people with disabilities, the elderly, or people with pushchairs to use.

"We have always said we wanted to find a sensible solution without compromising on accessibility or setting a precedent for a private business to stake a claim to a public part of land in a Unesco world heritage site.

"The planning inspector has concluded that the pub could, in principle, use a small portion of the path - subject to it successfully submitting strict and detailed plans to us for approval."

The Tavern dates back to 1837, having been a notable hub for merchants, sailors and politicians.