Shadforth's Farmers Arms loses pandemic beach hut appeal

Colin Curran said he would consider his options after his bid to keep the Farmers Arms beach huts was rejected

A pub which installed beach huts during the coronavirus pandemic has lost its appeal to keep them.

Colin Curran said he spent £16,000 extending the beer garden at the Farmers Arms in Shadforth, County Durham, for social distancing.

A planning inspector backed Durham County Council's rejection of the scheme following neighbours' complaints of "intolerable" noise.

Mr Curran said it was a "slap in the face" and he would look at his options.

He installed five huts and a decking area on part of the pub's car park in April 2020 while there were relaxed planning rules, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

But neighbours started complaining of noise and disturbance from the larger beer garden and opposed his scheme when he applied for retrospective planning permission.

'Shouting and swearing'

That application was rejected by the council and its decision has been upheld by the Planning Inspectorate after Mr Curran appealed.

He said he was determined to find a way of keeping the huts and would consider reducing the size of the outside terrace.

Mr Curran said the appeal loss was a "slap in the face", adding: "The council was encouraging small businesses to make outdoor spaces available but now they're taking it away."

Council planning officers said nearby residents found the noise from the beer garden "intolerable", with one saying they had to "shut windows because of loud live music and loud intoxicated customers shouting and swearing till very late at night".

In his report, the planning inspector said there were "times when the neighbours were unable to enjoy their gardens and they needed to close their windows to mitigate the noise".

But Mr Curran claimed the huts were mainly used by diners and families, adding: "They're a nuisance to no one."

The council said it would work with the business to ensure compliance with the decision.