Planning chiefs reject beer garden at historic pub

PLANNING chiefs at Warrington have thrown out retrospective proposals for an outdoor eating and drinking area at a historic town centre pub.
They ruled that the scheme at the Grade 2 Listed King’s Head, in Winwick Street had an adverse impact on the setting of the Listed building and the adjoining Winwick Street conservation area.
Members of the borough council’s development management committee were told the area involved has previously been used as an overflow far park.
The scheme involved the installation of an artificial grass surface, a patio railway sleepers forming a planter, a drinks bar and a timber picket fence along two sides of the site.
Applicant Andrew Fannon was seeking permission to operate the site for three years only.
Planning officers said the scheme used inappropriate materials – railway sleepers, a facsimile timber walkway and artificial grass were non-traditional materials not replicated in such a prominent location elsewhere on Winwick Street.
The railway sleeper enclosure projected forward of the building line of the listed building and its poor quality was in direct contrast with the highly decorative main elevation of the building.
They concluded the scheme was harmful to the character of the building and the adjoining conservation area.