Pubs in west London have won a battle against a local council after it tried to remove outdoor seating by the riverside.
Pub-goers have celebrated a “victory for common sense” after Hounslow Council agreed to pause enforcement orders, having originally ordered all seating on the river path to be removed.
The popular venues in Chiswick - The Bull’s Head, The City Barge, and The Bell & Crown - had council licensing officers ordering them to remove all street furniture from the river path by Monday.
The decision sparked a major backlash from landlords and pub regulars, causing the local authority to change their stance.
The row broke out when The Bull’s Head applied to renew its license, triggering an investigation which revealed that none of the three pubs had the required permissions.
While the tables and chairs had been a fixture on the towpath for decades - but technically the establishments did not have permission to be there under the Highways Act.
Following public pressure, the council have now reached an agreement with the pubs that they can keep their seating in place while the formal licensing applications are being assessed.
A Bell & Crown staff member said: "They’re back. It’s been quite a story with those chairs but they’re back. We’re waiting on a licensing application then they’ll be back for good hopefully."
Alastair Hilton, a regular at The Bell & Crown, told The Telegraph: "In the summer you’ve got to make every tenner you can, you’ve got to.
"Every seat that vanishes, it’s another £50, £100. It’s very, very hard to run a business as it is, very hard to run a pub. You can’t have a council coming along and going 'well I don’t like this.'"
Another resident who said she has lived in the area for over 20 years described the U-turn as a “victory for freedom and a victory for common sense.”
Gabriella Giles, Conservative councillor for Chiswick Riverside, called the council's original decision to remove the seating an "abuse of power".
The pub landlords claimed that council officials told them that the investigation was launched following a single complaint, which many pinned on local Green Party councillor Rick Rowe.
Mr Rowe told The Telegraph: “I did not ask for outdoor seating to be removed, for pubs to be penalised or for the council to take enforcement action. I have been working hard to ensure the council allows seating to remain while the licensing applications are reviewed."
Amy Croft, cabinet member for infrastructure at Hounslow Council, said: "We recognise the important role that riverside pubs play in the local community and appreciate their contribution to the area’s economy and character.
"We are required by law to ensure that any outdoor seating and structures placed on the public highway or riverside towpath have the appropriate permissions in place and do not obstruct access for pedestrians, wheelchair users, people with pushchairs or emergency services.
"Following inquiries regarding outdoor furniture and installations at a number of premises on Strand-on-the-Green, officers reviewed the relevant permissions and licence arrangements.
"Where tables, chairs, shelving or other removable furniture are placed on the public highway, businesses are required to hold a pavement licence."
