A PUB landlady has said Leeds Council should be “ashamed” after ordering them to dismantle the outdoor seating area they set up to comply with Covid guidelines.

The Black Bull in Otley has been issued an enforcement notice by the local authority saying their outdoor shelter is in contravention of planning guidance for the conservation area and doesn’t have planning permission.

The seating area in the pub’s courtyard consists of a wooden frame decorated with flowers, lights and old beer barrels.

Mel Green, landlady of the Black Bull said: “We are deeply disappointed with Leeds City Council and their decision to serve an enforcement notice us to take our outside beer garden down.

“During the pandemic, licensed premises were asked by central government to create suitable outside areas for customers to use and feel safe and for us to be able to trade.

“At that challenging time, we spent time and money to turn the unattractive back yard into a pleasant place to sit, even when we get typical English summer weather. That’s what we did and now thanks to Leeds City Council we feel its come to bite us on the backside!

“Leeds City Council should be ashamed, they have no understanding of Otley or about pubs and what they are going through and what we need to do to keep going. Even worse, they are wasting local people’s council tax on forcing us to destroy our popular beer garden. It’s heartbreaking.”

The enforcement notice from Leeds Council says: “The Local Planning Authority consider the unauthorised shelter/structure used in the beer garden is a permanent addition and as such is adversely affecting the heritage significance of the Listed Building and fails to enhance or preserve the character or appearance of Otley Conservation Area and is therefore. contrary to policy.

“The Local Planning Authority further considers that the unauthorised shelter/structure for use in the beer garden is an overly dominant, incongruous structure and is considered to harm the setting of the listed building and fails to preserve the special character and appearance of Otley Conservation Area because of its size, scale, positioning, unsympathetic design, detailing and materials.”

The decision has drawn opposition from Otley Pub Club, with Chair Rob Skinner saying the group is “appalled” at how Leeds City Council has handled the situation.

Mr Skinner said: “They invested a considerable amount of their own time and money creating a lovely outside drinking area, which has added to the attractiveness of the pub as well as being a vital boost to trade For Leeds City Council to order them to rip this out, in the middle of this cost-of-living crisis, is extraordinary.

“A key part of what Otley Pub Club stands for is preserving Otley’s historic pubs and Mel and Mal have enhanced the Black Bull, by transforming an unattractive dead space at the side of the pub into a lovely beer garden with barrels and flowers.

“For planning officers to claim this is ‘incongruous’ is absurd and shows how little they understand or value pubs. We urge them to show some common-sense and withdraw the notice and sit down with Mel and Mal and work out with them to agree adaptations to allow them to keep their very popular beer garden.”

Otley Pub Club president Greg Mulholland added: “Leeds City Council planners routinely approve the destruction of historic pubs for redevelopment, siding with developers over local communities, yet here they are undermining the trade at Otley’s oldest pub.

“They were only too happy to ignore objections and nod through the partial demolition and permanent loss of the historic Half Moon Inn in Pool-in-Wharfedale yet here they refusing permission for an attractive outside wooden drinking area at Otley’s oldest pub. You have to wonder where these people live and what their priorities are.”

Mr Mulholland said that the group had written to Leeds Council asking them to meet with Otley pub club and the licensees, but they refused.

He said: “Leeds City Council as a whole is supposed to have responsibility for supporting high streets yet in Otley we’ve had them destroying the high street with the ridiculous planters and now they’re forcing the Black Bull to tear down their attractive outside area. We need some common-sense and I hope that we’ll see a different approach, working with local businesses, rather than undermining them.”

A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said: “The council encourages any applicants to engage with us and will always endeavour to support and work with local businesses. However, where planning permission is required, development proposals need to be supported with the necessary applications, to enable the Local Planning Authority to consider the impact those developments may have on local communities.

“In this case, the development in question has been carried out without the benefit of planning permission within the curtilage of a Listed Building and is within a Conservation Area. These are protected areas of special architectural or historic interest and are designed to protect the character and appearance of a whole area.

“This enforcement notice has therefore been issued taking all these factors into account and in accordance with Leeds City Council’s Local Enforcement Plan.”