Award-winning pub LOSES battle to keep 32ft ‘eyesore’ teepee after locals blasted ‘it’s like living at a festival’
AN AWARD-WINNING pub has lost a legal battle to keep a 32ft-tall "eyesore" in the garden.
Locals slammed the towering teepee in Greater Manchester and are relieved to hear the "unauthorised and unlawful" tent is to be torn down.
Daniel Thwaites, the owner of Eagle and Child, was said to have several features added to the gastro pub without permission during Covid.
He sought out retrospective planning permission for the 72-man tent and the beer garden, but they were subject to multiple objections from dismayed locals.
One disgruntled neighbour said demolishing the tent alone would not be sufficient for the community of Whalley Road, Ramsbottom.
He said: “Losing the tepee would not solve problems.
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"The external bar is still a noise nuisance, with loud music and patrons becoming louder as the day and evening progresses."
The council decided the beer garden could stay but the teepee had to go.
Other complaints related to the pub's parking - it only has space for 11 cars so many vehicles are dumped in nearby streets by pubgoers.
The Eagle and Child took the title of UK ‘Pub of the Year’ in 2017 and was rated the best food pub in the Manchester Food and Drinks Awards two years earlier.
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Despite its prestige, Ramsbottom residents are not impressed.
Aimee Burgess, who lives opposite the pub in, claims the “constant noise” made by people attending events at the teepee was “like having a festival outside the house”.
"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."
Bury Council's planning committee deliberated over the teepee application last year after more than 22 complaints.
During the meeting Thwaites had also sought permission an external bar for his beer garden.
He described these features as "hugely successful" and begged to keep them for the sake of the pub.
Helen Binns addressed council members on behalf of the bold pub owner.
She argued: "The pub sector is really struggling and pubs are closing on a daily basis due to not being financially viable.
"This is particularly the case for smaller premises like The Eagle and Child."
“In order to survive we’ve had to evolve and diversify - if pubs are unable to do this the simple fact is we risk losing them forever."
The committee team decided that the pub could keep the beer garden but rejected the 72-man teepee based on traffic and noise complaints.
While some had vouched to keep the venue, describing it as a "good local venue and community hub" the tent was ordered to be removed.
Council member David Marno said: "The tepee is being used as a venue in its own right.
"Our issue is with that structure and we are taking enforcement action against it.
"At the moment the tepee’s still there , it’s unauthorised and it’s unlawful so we’re taking action to seek its removal."
The Eagle and Child was using the cone-shaped tent to host weddings and other celebrations.
It was described by Thwaites as an "essential part of the business" before being told to demolish it.
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He has now offered to enforce a 10pm limit in the beer garden to tackle further complaints.
The Sun has reached out to The Eagle and Child for a comment.
How to complaint about noise issues
According to GOV.uk, you should take the following action:
- Try to solve the problem informally by .
- If your neighbour is a tenant, you could .
- You could use a if raising the issue informally does not work.
- If the dispute involves a statutory nuisance (something like loud music or barking dogs), you can make a .
- if your neighbour is breaking the law by being violent or harassing you.
- As a last resort you can take .