Father hits back Harrow's The Castle beer garden

Will Bouquet said the distance between two pergolas at The Castle in Harrow-on-the Hill to his house will make it feel like his family is “living in a beer garden”. 

Harrow Council granted the pub permission to build the pergolas in November 2021, but Mr Bouqet said this should never have been the case. 

He said the council did not fully appreciate where the new building would be and the impact this would have on neighbours.

The father said the pergolas will disturb his daily life and is particularly concerned about the effect it will have on his two-year-old son Sam whose bedroom is closest to the garden. 

He said: “I care a lot about this area. I care about the trees that have been cut down but you also need to think about the immediate impact it will have on local residents. 

“People might say ‘well you chose to live near a pub’ but it was fine before. Now it will be like living in a beer garden. This is much closer, we’ve lost the buffer and the thing is huge.

“My son’s bedroom is closest to the pergolas and we’re really concerned that he’s not going to be able to sleep.”

Pergola From House (Credit: Adam Shaw) can be used by LDRS partners

Harrow Council said the pub’s plans were “poorly drafted” and there was no reference to the manager’s garden, which is where the pergolas have been built. 

It has acknowledged that trees were removed and has sent an “informal warning letter” instructing the pub to plant replacement ones in “an appropriate location”. 

Mr Bouqet said the fact the council has taken action shows that it is unlikely that planning permission would have been granted if it had fully understood the application. 

He added: “Something has gone very wrong here. The council said it misunderstood the plans. 

“They’ve admitted they’ve made a mistake and they’re trying to cover their tracks by saying they would have granted permission [in its current form] anyway.”

He has called on the council and the pub to work with the local community and take a common sense approach to the situation. 

A Harrow Council spokesperson said: “After visiting the site to investigate, Harrow Council considers that the pergola is acceptable in its location in planning terms and is in line with the government agenda to support the hospitality industry and encourage the use of outdoor spaces.

“The trees that were removed were below the standard required for protection from a Tree Preservation Order.

“Notwithstanding this, Harrow Council is seeking replacement trees of an appropriate size and siting to replace those that were removed.”

The Castle pub has been contacted for comment.