Kenilworth pub hopes to expand its beer garden into more of its car park

Plans have been revealed that would see a Kenilworth town centre pub expand into its car park.

The application, which has been submitted by owners Greene King, seeks to expand the outdoor seating areas at Grade II Listed The Bear and Ragged Staff in Warwick Road.

Currently, the pub already uses some of the car park for outdoor seating.

If given the go ahead the extended outdoor seating and beer garden would be located in the current car park – meaning a total loss of nine spaces.

There would also be a pergola with a polycarbonate roof.

In the plans, Greene King says it is following current trends where more people are sitting outside saying “outdoor seating is highly desirable for the hospitality industry post 2020”.

As well as expanding the seating, the application also seeks to repaint the front of the building as well as renovation work to the toilets and bar area inside the pub.

The plans also state that the work also includes reinstating the original fireplace so it can be used again and keeping the existing ‘historic ceiling joists’.

In the planning documents it says that the improvements to the pub will help increase the amount of people it can serve and in turn help with the ‘revenue and future viability of the business’.

It adds: “As an historic pub the revenue is important to keep the pub going, which may in turn help with its upkeep.”

To view the plans go to Warwick District Council’s planning portal and search: W/24/0148