Landlady of Black Bull in Otley hits out as council demands removal of beer shelter
Mel Green, the landlady of The Black Bull pub in Otley has hit out after Leeds City Council demanded the removal of a beer shelter.
According to the council, the wooden structure contravenes planning rules but Mel, who has been running the pub since 2018, suggested that removing the shelter could be bad for business at a time when many traders are struggling.
She has called on the authority to reconsider its decision.
According to the council, the wooden structure contravenes planning rules but Mel, who has been running the pub since 2018, suggested that removing the shelter could be bad for business at a time when many traders are struggling.
She has called on the authority to reconsider its decision.
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Hi, I'm Mel Green, the licensee of Black Bull in Otley on the Marketplace.
00:06 We're in the courtyard here at the back in the newly revamped garden which was put up during Covid.
00:16 In the pandemic times, the government asked us to create areas that would be safe for our customers to drink in, in social distancing times.
00:27 We've now been asked by the council to demolish it basically.
00:32 We are very unhappy about this. One of our local customers has started a petition.
00:40 So far we've nearly got a thousand signatures just online.
00:43 We have a paper copy for people to come and sign, just here.
00:50 We are just asking the council to reconsider the enforcement notice that they've given us, especially as it was expressed by the government for us.
01:02 And we won't be the only ones across the country that have been given these enforcement notices.
01:08 I believe it's completely unfair and it's very costly.
01:14 This shelter was built during the Covid pandemic where people could only sit outside to have a drink and to social distance in groups of no more than six.
01:25 We believe it's a fantastic feature for the pub.
01:30 It's not doing any harm. It's not touching the building. It doesn't change the frontage.
01:36 It's tucked away in what would normally be a very dark, boring courtyard.