FORCED TO shut down his covered dining area, a Wokingham landlord said he was devastated when covid marshals visited his pub earlier this month.
Clive McNelly, from The White Horse, said he hadn’t received any guidance about outdoor dining regulations when setting up his musician-themed huts.
The family-run pub invested heavily over the last year in its garden to improve the setting and create a space perfect for live music nights.
On Saturday, May 1, Mr McNelly welcomed two covid marshals to the pub, who then told him the huts had to be closed to the public, as they were not 50% open.
This is the same requirement for outdoor smoking areas.
“Greene King has put them up in loads of pubs,” he said. “I was absolutely devastated, we spent all that time making the place look fantastic. It had a real buzz, but they’ve pulled the rug out from underneath us.”
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A spokesperson for Greene King said the company has kept all tenants up to date with the latest information from the Government, including guidance that structures need to have 50% of sides open to be considered as outdoor structures.
They added: “These beach huts were originally installed last year when indoor hospitality was permitted.”
The brewery added that any Greene King managed pubs have installed structures that comply with the requirements.
Mr McNelly said he was told the huts could not stay open, even for solo customers or family units.
“I would really like to have a logical explanation, and I don’t think anyone could supply one,” he said.
A spokesperson for the council said: “IIf a structure has a roof, at least 50% of the sides must be open for it to be considered outdoor space and therefore usable.
“In this case, officers visited and advised that some of the structures in use had roofs and more than 50% solid sides and so could not continue to be used. It will, of course, be permissible to use the beach huts in step three [of lifting lockdown] and we are always willing to provide advice.”
After being told to close the huts, Mr McNelly said he phoned customers booked in for the next day.
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“Sunday is our busiest day,” he said. “People come for their roasts. I had to phone them at 10.30 pm at night to cancel their Sunday dinners.”
This was made all the more bitter as he watched the snooker on the television.
“There were 2,000 people in that room,” the landlord said.
Since closing the covered space, The White Horse has had a second visit from covid marshals, to ensure the huts have remained closed.
A spokesperson for the council said enforcement is being carried out through the Public Protection Partnership (PPP).
“At every step of the way, the council and PPP have worked with businesses to help them operate within the legislation, including providing online briefings, responding to requests for advice and carrying out advisory visits if requested,” they said. “We have also carried out many compliance checks as part of our overall response to the pandemic. We would urge all businesses to contact us for advice and support before making changes as a result of Covid legislation.”
Despite his frustration over the incident, Mr McNelly said he has been overwhelmed with support from punters.
“The response has been incredible – it actually made me quite emotional,” he said. “We’ve been so busy, with the exception of a few nights we closed due to bad weather, people have been coming out in the cold to support us.
“And the staff have been fantastic too, it’s been freezing and they’re just soldiering on.”
He is now counting down the days until Monday, when indoor dining at pubs can resume.
“Working in the kitchen, I sometimes come out to the bar for five minutes to chat to punters,” he said. “I come out at the moment and the bar is soulless – it’ll be nice to have people in and sat at the tables again.”
