Award-winning pub’s 32ft teepee is making our lives a nightmare – it’s like living at a festival… parking is mayhem
RESIDENTS living next to an award-winning pub say a 32ft tepee is making their lives a “nightmare” as it’s like living near a festival.
The Eagle and Child, in Ramsbottom, Bury, Greater Manchester, erected the structure in its beer garden during the pandemic.
The teepee seats up to 72 people and has been described by the pub's owners, Daniel Thwaites, as an “essential part of the business”.
It is used to host events including weddings, christenings and birthday parties.
However, the pub, which was crowned UK ‘Pub of the Year’ in 2017, has now been ordered to remove the teepee and an outdoor bar following complaints from neighbours.
Aimee Burgess, who lives opposite the pub in Whalley Road, claims the “constant noise” made by people attending events at the teepee was “like having a festival outside the house”.
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On one occasion, she claimed she was awoken by revellers performing karaoke outside the pub at 1am.
"It's ridiculous," she said. "It's like having a festival outside the house with the amount of music, people wooing and cheering, and bottles smashing. It's constant."
When the teepee was first built, Ms Burgess said it was “absolutely fine”.
But, as more events began to be held at the pub, the problems began.
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"It's only been bad since they started holding weddings and parties in the outside tent," she said.
"At first, there was an event every weekend. Now there's an event during the week and every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night."
A shortage of parking spaces at the pub means that customers often end up parking their cars on surrounding roads, Ms Burgess claimed.
"It's mayhem in terms of parking," she explained. "On a weekend, we have to be back by half six if we want to park anywhere close to our house.
"There have been times when we have had to park a five or ten minute walk down the road."
Ms Burgess said she had contacted the council to explore the possibility of a residential parking scheme being introduced.
"The pub are trying to make everyone happy and I do feel for them, but they needed to be doing more before it got to this point," she said.
"The teepee itself is fine, it's just not a pub that was made for events. It was great as a gastropub.
"The beer garden is lovely and has stunning views but it's not the place for an outdoor venue for weddings, birthdays and bar mitzvahs."
PLANNING APPLICATION REJECTED
Earlier this month, Bury Council rejected a retrospective planning application for permanent retention of a circular tented ‘teepee’, outside bar, pergola and toilet block.
It came after neighbours raised objections about issues including noise and waste being thrown into rear gardens from the beer garden.
Planners at Bury Council said the application was refused mainly on noise and traffic issues, plus design and appearance.
A planning report found that the plans “would have a serious and detrimental impact on visual and residential amenity”.
It also expressed concerns about on site parking as the pub only has 11 spaces.
Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, we are having other people's parties inflicted on us
Local resident
One man who lives in nearby Cheshire Court said he was among those who objected to the planning application.
"I've lived in this house for the best part of 28 years and it's only in the last three I've had to complain," said the man, who asked not to be named.
"It's a quiet residential area. Since they have introduced that, it's caused a lot of issues for the residents.
“Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, we are having other people's parties inflicted on us.
"The music starts at about one in the afternoon and the noise goes up as more and more people arrive.
“You get singalongs and people banging on the table. There are times when I can feel the baselines in my windows.
"They are having a good time but putting a tent slap bang in the middle of a residential area has been a nightmare for the last three years.
“It would be nice if the venue could contain that within walls rather than a teepee."
'DOUBLE PARKING'
As well as “severe noise” late at night, he said another issue was customers “double parking” on Cheshire Court.
On occasions, he says car have been parked on the street for several days after an event.
"The surrounding area is being used as an overspill car park for the pub," he said. "If they have got a lot of customers then there is not a space anywhere along this street.
“Sometimes there are cars parked all the way down to the motorway bridge."
He said items have also been thrown over neighbours' fences, including stones, glass bottles and vape refills.
"We can't do anything without experiencing the activities going at the pub," he explained. "I don't know what the solution is short of it being put back to what it was.
"Businesses are having a hard time but you shouldn't be able to run a business if it's massively detrimental to local residents.
“If they had done this and they were somewhere in the middle of a field and weren't disturbing anybody then good luck.
";To introduce it to this area has caused such a nuisance for the last three years.
“This argument that the pub was there first so they get carte blanche is nonsense."
When there's an event, parking is chaos round here
Jon Walker
Jon Walker moved into his home in Peel Brow in October 2021.
He accused the pub of being “disengaged” with residents, as he said: "It doesn't feel like a local pub. It feels like an events space.
"A lot of the clientele are not from the area. They drive to the pub and park on the street.
“When there's an event, parking is chaos round here.
“It p***** people off.
"It would be nice if the pub was more engaged with the local community and came and chatted to us.
“It's odd that you would get an outdoor events space in the middle of a residential area."
Ramsbottom councillor Gareth Staples-Jones has since called for compromise after being “very disappointed” by the decision.
He said: “As ward councillors, we were not made aware of this decision.
“If residents have concerns or issues relating to the teepee, it would have been helpful to have known prior or at the time of the issue arising so ward councillors or council officers could approach the brewery and pub to find a middle ground and a way to resolve.
“Waiting until a retrospective planning application to hammer in nails feels wrong.
“I will be working with our enforcement team to ensure we’re doing our best to promote places like Eagle & Child whilst also listening to residents’ concerns.
“Rammy is an attractive destination to live, eat, relax and be part of a wonderful community – we need to grow that by working with businesses and the community.”
Earlier this week a spokesman for Daniel Thwaites said that following the decision “we are currently reviewing our options and are aiming to meet with Bury’s planning team to find a solution that works for all parties”.
“Rammy is an attractive destination to live, eat, relax and be part of a wonderful community – we need to grow that by working with businesses and the community.”
Previously, a spokesperson for Daniel Thwaites said: “The teepee was installed post-Covid as part of The Eagle and Child’s recovery plan and has since been very well received by customers and local community groups.
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"Following a recent planning decision, we are currently reviewing our options and are aiming to meet with Bury’s planning team to find a solution that works for all parties.”
The Sun Online has approached the pub and Daniel Thwaites for further comment.
