A PUB has lost its appeal to keep a marquee on a riverbank walkway in a conservation area after a two-year battle.
The metal frame marquee, with a white shiny plastic roof, covering tables and chairs and with heaters hanging from the roof bars, has been in place since autumn 2020 when it was put up to help the Boat Inn comply with Covid regulations in place at the time.
A planning application, in February 2023, to retain it led to hundreds of comments, both for and against, being lodged with the local council and sparked a row over access to the river Wye in Chepstow.
Some users of the Wye claimed the marquee, which remains in place, blocks access to steps leading to the water and a pontoon, where boats can be moored, and which they say is vital for rescue teams.
Amanda Cooper, landlady of the 18th century Boat Inn, said she had no wish to deny anyone access to the riverbank and has kept a corridor through the outdoor seating area leading to the steps.
Monmouthshire County Council’s planning department refused a revised application, submitted in August 2023 following talks between it and Ms Cooper, due to its “unacceptable adverse visual impact” on the appearance of the area. The council said the marquee failed to preserve or enhance the character of the conservation area with “an adverse impact on nearby listed buildings”.
That decision has now been upheld on appeal after independent planning inspector Anthony Thickett, appointed by Planning and Environment Decisions Wales, visited the pub and riverbank in January this year. He however found while the marquee is “an impediment” to accessing the river it didn’t create problems that can’t be overcome and said he didn’t consider access was so restricted it should be grounds for dismissing the appeal.
In his decision Mr Thickett said the marquee spoiled open views up and down the river that are “specifically referred to in the Conservation Area Appraisal.”
He also dismissed a cage used for storing gas bottles within the marquee as “ugly” and wrote: “The large, shiny marquee despite its three open sides, intrudes into this space and interrupts views along the river.
“Further, the overtly modern materials and ugly bottle cage fail to respect this historic setting, contrasting unfavourably with the character of and traditional materials in The Boat Inn and other listed buildings nearby.”
Mr Thickett acknowledged the seating area continues the history of the river bank and wharves as being a busy area but said while the marquee facilitates use of the space he didn’t consider it necessary for activity to continue after dark or year-round to preserve the character of the area.
The decision noted Monmouthshire council has no objection to use of the seating area or the principal of it being covered and Mr Thickett said his only responsibility was to determine whether “retention of the existing structure is acceptable” and said it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to comment on alternatives suggested by the council.
He also said reference to a marquee on the terrace of the Palace of Westminster, made on behalf of the applicant, hadn’t been considered as his conclusions were specific to the site.
An application for costs, which could only be awarded if the council was found to have acted unreasonably, was also dismissed but Mr Thickett said while it wasn’t required to do so Monmouthshire’s failure to respond had been “unhelpful”.
