A pub in the popular nightlife haunt of Monton in Eccles is being allowed to extend its beer garden - but with stringent conditions to prevent nearby residents from being disturbed by revellers. Councillors have given the green light to the Park Hotel’s planning application, which also includes an extended glass canopy.
But the members of the city’s planning and transportation regulatory panel were puzzled over why the pub on Monton Road wants to grass over part of its car park. The plan to landscape the area was hatched after the Park’s initial intention to put seating in the area was knocked back by the authority’s officers.
Although the beer garden extension was approved, it was stipulated that this area ‘shall not be used for external seating at any time’. The panel also said that an acoustic fence should be erected to the rear and side of the proposed extension to the terrace in an area where there is seating.
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Coun Mike McCusker said: “Stengthening these conditions will make sure that people don’t end up eating and drinking in that space [the grassed-over area]. It seems a bit strange as to why the pub wants to grass over part of its car park. They wanted to put seating there and now there is grass and plants.
“Why would you have a green space in your car park? It’s just odd.”
His colleague, Coun Phil Cusack said he was ‘concerned about the hours of operation’ of the pub, but was assured these were from 11am to 11pm. The panel was told there had been 11 letters of objection to the extension amid fears of an increase in anti-social behaviour, increased noise levels and ‘disturbance’ from the pub, and the loss of parking spaces in the street with the risk that some people will park illegally.
Meanwhile, councillors have given the go-ahead to the building of a six-storey block of affordable apartments for people ‘moving on’ from homelessness. The 40 one-bedroom flats will go up on land next to the River Irwell near St Simon Street and are targeted towards people continuing to work towards securing permanent independent accommodation.
Two emergency homeless flats will be provided on the ground floor to be managed by the city council. The facility will be run by the Mustard Tree charity as part of its ‘Freedom Project’, which works with homeless people to give them work experience and life skills to move on to independent living and employment.
Coun John Warmisham welcomed the project brought forward by the Mossacre St Vincent’s (MSV) housing developer. He said: I’m so pleased to see this [scheme] coming to Salford. “I’ve worked with St Vincent’s and Mustard Tree in the past and they are both sound organisations,” he said.
“It’s a much-needed development. We’ve heard about a desperate need for food banks and I think this is a brilliant building.”
Coun Cusack added: “I really welcome this application. It’s right to highlight how sad it is that we need this type of development. It reflects the lamentable performance of this Government in [failing to] support people suffering such levels of poverty and deprivation.”
Councillors on the panel have also welcomed plans to extend, remodel and refurbish a special school serving the Jewish community in Broughton. They agreed to the proposals from the Aim Habonim school on the corner of Bury New Road and Rigby Street.
The school currently serves 90 children with special needs and is housed in a traditional brick-built 1970s building with a flat roof. Coun Warmisham said: “I welcome this. I think it’s a great asset for the area, particularly for the Jewish community.”
However, he said: “The only criticism I would have is the traffic issues [in the area]. People who live in that area know, particularly Northumberland Street [nearby] because it’s like a car park at picking up and dropping off times.
“I do think we need to take a serious look at the traffic flow in that area.” Coun Andrew Walters, an Independent member of the council, said he ‘echoed’ Coun Warmisham’s words.
“It’s a fantastic facility for children with severe and minor special needs. There were no objections to the plan, which shows the feeling in the community. There is work being done to see what can be done with the traffic there. It’s a greatly supported school in the community.”
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