Pub Owners Seek Three-Year Extension for Popular Tipi Event Space

THE owners of a Wrexham village pub are seeking permission to keep an outdoor events space in place for a further three years.
A tipi structure was originally installed within the beer garden of the Golden Lion in Rossett during the Covid pandemic in 2020.
Retrospective approval was given by Wrexham Council in mid-2021 for an initial period of three years to allow customers to have a drink while maintaining social distancing.
Hydes Brewery, which owns the pub on Chester Road, has now made an application to request a further extension for the same time period.
Representatives for the company said the tipi had continued to be used by customers as an event space for private hire following the end of the pandemic.
In a letter to the local authority, they said: “Since the granting of the previous consent, the use of the structure has evolved since the easing of restrictions related to Covid-19.
“The structure now represents a popular, bookable events space which is regularly fully booked.
“The pub advertises the space for private hire, alongside offering the space out to community groups.
“The tipi represents a necessary diversification of the services that the pub provides, as following the Covid-19 pandemic, pubs now struggle to operate solely on the trade of food and beverages alone.”
The proposals show the floor area of the tipi has increased since permission was first granted.
The fresh application was triggered after the pub was contacted by a council planning enforcement officer.
The company said a temporary extension was being sought to ensure the private hire use doesn’t impact on the pub’s neighbours.
The agents added: “The applicant wishes to ensure that the revised size of the tipi alongside the developed use of the tipi is acceptable during its operation, particularly in terms of impact to neighbouring properties.
“Temporary planning permission is considered to be more appropriate, and community conscious in this regard.”
A decision will be made on the application by the council at a later date.

By Liam Randall – Local Democracy Reporter