Plans approved to expand Kenilworth pub's beer garden into more of its car park
Plans that would see a Kenilworth town centre pub expand its beer garden, while taking away some of its car park, have been given the go ahead.
The application, which was submitted by owners Greene King, sought 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.
The plans, which were given the go ahead via a delegated decision by Warwick District Council last week, would see the extension to the outdoor seating and beer garden in the current car park – meaning a total loss of nine spaces.
The application also included new fencing, replacing the existing tarmac with a resin flooring as well as festoon lighting.
In the planning documents, Greene King said it is following current trends where more people are sitting outside saying “outdoor seating is highly desirable for the hospitality industry post 2020”.
Originally, the application also included a pergola but in the delegated report it said it was “omitted from the scheme following concerns regarding the impact to the setting of the listed building”.
As well as expanding the seating, the application, which was approved will also see the front of the building repainted as well as renovation work to the toilets and bar area inside the pub.
The plans also said that the work also includes reinstating the original fireplace so it can be used again and keeping the existing ‘historic ceiling joists’.