A popular London pub has won its battle against a Labour-run council who tried to shut down its beer garden.
The Royal Borough of Greenwich Council has been at war against The Trafalgar Tavern since March of this year, when the nineteenth-century boozer was slapped with an enforcement notice.
Landlord Frank Dowling was instructed to remove about half of its outdoor tables, seating and umbrellas this year following complaints about pedestrian access for pushchairs and wheelchair users.
Now, after an appeal from Mr Dowling, the planning inspectorate ruled to quash the notice, allowing the pub to retain the outdoor seating area next to the Thames.
The pub, once loved by authors Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray, was a popular meeting point for the Liberal Party in Victorian era, including as the meeting place of the final Cabinet of Prime Minister William Gladstone in 1885.
It had submitted planning permission in 2005 to put out tables and chairs in the daytime on a cobbled section of the path known as The Ramp and The Knuckle.
However, the Labour-led council had claimed there had been complaints about pedestrian access and tried to force the closure of the garden.
Ex-Housing Secretary Angela Rayner had refused to intervene in the issue, which was taking place in the Greenwich & Woolwich constituency of Matthew Pennycook, her Housing Minister.
Conservative Party Chairman Kevin Hollinrake, who had visited the pub while in his former role as Shadow Housing Secretary, hailed this week's decision "fantastic news".
Naval nautical flags regularly hang outside the Trafalgar Tavern pub in Greenwich
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Mr Hollinrake, the MP for for Thirsk and Malton, said: "The Trafalgar Tavern is a great example of a much-loved local pub fighting back against Labour’s war on fun.
"Councils should be bending over backwards to support our pubs and restaurants right now, particularly as they are suffering so badly from Labour’s jobs tax and red tape.
"Congratulations to all involved in securing this common-sense outcome."
The pub's manager, Vasil Vasilev, welcomed the outcome of the hearing as "fantastic news".
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Admiral Lord Nelson stands proudly at the Trafalgar Tavern pub
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When asked if he would be having a drink to celebrate, Mr Vasilev said: "No, we have got work to do."
Mr Dowling said they were "thrilled" and "we can now invest in outside and make it better."
Council officers have now granted the pub permission to use an area of the Path known as "The Knuckle" for external drinking and dining.
The documents said: "Subject to the corrections, the appeal is allowed. The enforcement notice is quashed and planning permission is granted.
The Thames-side pub is popular in the summer
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Mr Vasilev said: "It's fantastic news. We will be able to keep our staff, which is very important to us.
"It keeps everyone outside and nothing will really change, which is great.
"It's half the pub in the summer, everyone wants to sit outside when the weather's good.
"With tables, we can control the crowds much better than drinkers. It would have been completely different without the tables."
Staff at the pub welcomed the ruling from the council
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A spokesman for Greenwich Council said: “We’re really proud of Greenwich town centre, a Unesco world heritage site visited by millions of people every year.
"We’ve been clear throughout this process that we have a duty to make sure the Thames Path is accessible for everyone. It’s a narrow stretch that is constantly in use, and it needs to be easy for people with disabilities, the elderly, or people with pushchairs to use.
"We have always said we wanted to find a sensible solution without compromising on accessibility or setting a precedent for a private business to stake a claim to a public part of land in a world heritage site.
"The planning inspector has concluded that the pub could, in principle, use a small portion of the path, subject to it successfully submitting strict and detailed plans to us for approval.
"This is a positive outcome as it means there will be restrictions in place to safeguard the path from unnecessary clutter, making sure it is safe to use.”