Pub landlord defends smoking shelter (From Worcester News)

Pub landlord defends smoking shelter

8:05am Saturday 18th August 2007

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A PUB landlord has defended a plan to erect a smoking shelter in front of a listed building saying it is necessary to keep trade at his Worcestershire inn.

According to Darren Young, the shelter will help keep smokers visiting the Talbot Inn and will give drinkers who have already started to congregate outside somewhere safe to go.

He said: "It's to keep us going. With the floods and the smoking ban and everything they are trying to kill us."

However, Kempsey parish councillors have objected to his plan arguing the Grade 2 listed pub has a smoking shelter at the back.

They believe the structure is not in keeping with a listed building and could distract drivers travelling along the adjacent A38.

Councillors also said it was unacceptable for primary school children using a nearby pelican crossing to have to walk past drinkers.

Mr Young said: "The smoking shelter at the back of the building is at the end of the restaurant. When people are dining smokers can't walk through but have to walk around outside, about 50 metres, to get to it.

"In the summer months it's fine but when it hits winter it's a long way to walk and we want to stop losing as much trade as possible."

Mr Young added groups of up to 30 smokers who did not want to walk around the Main Road pub were already standing at the front of the building and his staff could not stop them.

He added: "The application is so we can put a patio down and fencing just to close it off altogether so people can't hang over the main road."

The application is currently being considered by Malvern Hills District Council.

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