'I was ordered to tear down £13k terrace after 1 complaint - but got last laugh'

06 September 2023 , 21:52

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John Scott and partner Paul Dean are celebrating being told they can keep the structure standing (Image: James Maloney/Lancs Live)

A landlord is celebrating after being granted permission to keep his £13,000 garden shelter, months after being ordered to tear it down.

Paul Dean was devastated when council planners ordered him to remove the terrace at the Alexandra Hotel pub he poured his "heart” into. In May he was told to rip it down and so applied for retrospective permission, which was rejected.

Now, the revised backdated planning application has been approved by Blackburn with Darwen Council allowing him to retain the canopied beer garden. However, he was told he must paint it grey and use natural colours for the roof.

The £13,000 structure at the Alexandra Hotel (James Maloney/Lancs Live)

Paul, who runs the pub with partner John Scott, previously told LancsLive: "We got it finished enough to use for Bonfire Night but then a single resident complained about it and it led to us being asked to apply for retrospective planning permission. These residents complain about everything, such as motorbikes revving their engines and I do understand as they have a young family but they also live on a busy road opposite a pub.

"We built the shelter with the best intentions, because customers asked for it and we needed a covered outdoor space for smokers to be tucked away, so they didn't congregate in the doorway when it is raining. We have put our heart and soul into the pub. We barred so many people and sorted out the issues, we really feel like we have saved it."

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The new report granting approval included five conditions and design improvements proposed. The grey paint colour would match the colour scheme of the adjacent rendered porch feature.

The structure should also be fitted with natural slates. Conditions have also been put in place to control "operating times of the seating area and to prevent the broadcasting of amplified music to safeguard the aural amenities of the immediate neighbours."

Planning officer Christian Barton said: “The building has ornate natural stone elevations, a slate roof and white doors and windows. It is an early-Victorian former manor house built in a lingering Georgian style. This application seeks retrospective consent to retain and finish a raised decking area with associated canopy which provides a covered outdoor seating area.

“The structure has been constructed from timber and it currently has a felt lined shallow mono-pitched roof. A timber balustrade has also been installed enclosing the raised platform area. The application is a resubmission with a number of design improvements now proposed.”

Antony Thrower