Controversial beer garden lease approved for Sheffield pub

The Waggon and Horses in Millhouses Green's garden is here to stay

A Sheffield pub has been granted a long-term lease to keep its beer garden in a park after years of "difficult" negotiations with the council.

Protesters previously called for the Waggon and Horses to remove outdoor seating in Millhouses Green Park over fears it took trade from others.

Sheffield City Council confirmed the lease would come with "substantial funding" for park improvements.

The beer garden would make the park "varied and pleasant", it added.

The Waggon and Horses, owned by True North Brew, initially got permission to have its beer garden in the park in August 2021 and has been under a series of temporary agreements ever since.

But two out of three of these agreements were terminated by the council because of unpermitted trading, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A petition set up by Friends of Millhouses Green Park requested the green space remain unused and also voiced concerns the beer garden would detract from other food and drink retailers in the vicinity.

True North Brew, which owns other venues such as Riverside Kelham and The Broadfield, reportedly publicly pledged £20,000 towards the park during the negotiations but at a meeting this week Tammy Whitaker, head of regeneration and property, confirmed the company had pulled out of this commitment.

Instead Sheffield Council said the pub's rent increase would mean "substantial investments" would be possible for the park.