Angela Rayner has refused to help a London pub loved by Charles Dickens after the council ordered it to tear down part of a historic beer garden.
The Communities Secretary was urged to use her ministerial powers to overrule the Labour authority which told the Trafalgar Tavern in Greenwich to remove roughly half of its outdoor seating.
But rather than reversing the decision by calling it in, Ms Rayner is expected to let the planning inspector deal with the pub’s appeal on her behalf.
The Trafalgar Tavern’s al fresco tables are located on the Thames Path, a narrow walkway running along the banks of the capital’s river.
The outdoor area of the pub has regularly been named one of the best in Britain after it opened in 1837 and was once a favourite spot of English novelist Charles Dickens.
In March, however, the council issued an enforcement notice ordering the pub to stop using the land for drinking and dining and to remove all seating, umbrellas and tables.
A notice said there had been ‘a material change of use’ of the area without planning permission, with the pub warning the move could lead to dozens of job losses.
Greenwich council said it had received complaints about access – and officials suggested the seating restricted movement for pedestrians, wheelchair users and families with pushchairs.
The Trafalgar Tavern’s al fresco tables are located on the Thames Path, a narrow walkway running along the banks of the capital’s river
The outdoor area of the pub has regularly been named one of the best in Britain after it opened in 1837 and was once a favourite spot of English novelist Charles Dickens
In March, the council issued an enforcement notice ordering the pub to stop using the land for drinking and dining and to remove all seating, umbrellas and tables
The authority added it was ‘important that everyone can use [the path] easily’ – and that a ‘balance’ was needed.
Ms Rayner and her Government have now been accused, by the Conservatives, of failing to ‘practice what they preach’ after making ‘a big song and dance about slashing red tape to protect pubs’.
The Trafalgar Tavern has appealed to the Planning Inspectorate, a government agency, which is expected to report back by October.
Most planning appeals are decided by inspectors without the need for ministerial sign-off. However, Ms Rayner can demand a final say in certain circumstances in her capacity as Communities Secretary, including where proposals give rise to ‘substantial regional or national controversy’.
In these circumstances, planning inspectors review the case and make a recommendation to the Secretary of State, who makes the decision.
Ms Rayner was asked by the Conservatives this month whether she would use her ministerial powers to call in the Trafalgar Tavern appeal.
Jim McMahon, the minister for local government, responded saying it was ‘likely’ the decision would be issued ‘on behalf of the Secretary of State’, meaning Ms Rayner would not be involved.
Kevin Hollinrake, the shadow communities secretary, told The Telegraph: ‘Angela Rayner could save this pub from overzealous planning inspectors, but she’s actively choosing not to.
Pub staff say an order to remove its outdoor seating could damage tourism and put jobs at risk
The pub sits on a section of the Thames Path which owner Mr Dowling says he leased from the Greenwich Foundation, a naval charity that supports the upkeep of historic buildings locally
The Trafalgar Tavern has been widely praised for its London riverside setting
‘Labour has made a big song and dance about slashing red tape to protect pubs, but it’s clear they don’t practice what they preach. Business rates, the Employment Bill and the jobs tax are all set to push pubs across the country to extinction.
‘If Labour are unwilling to back down in their war on the local, Rayner should at least step in to save this one.’
Ms Rayner could still choose to overrule the council, is is understood, as she may call in the appeal at any point before the Planning Inspectorate makes its decision.
In April, the Government insisted it had called ‘last orders’ on ‘red tape choking pubs’ as it vowed to back ‘the British night out’.
The Mayor of London said in a joint press release from Ms Rayner and cabinet members Rachel Reeves and Jonathan Reynolds they would be ‘armed with new powers to review blocked licensing applications and boost the capital’s night-time economy’.
Ms Rayner said at the time: ‘Our pubs, restaurants, and live music venues are the beating heart of our cultural life, so it is vital they are given every chance to survive and thrive. Too often, we have seen the complaints of a vocal minority of objectors promoted over the need for our country to grow – we are determined to change this.’
The Trafalgar Tavern serves customers on traditional wooden benches along the Thames Path, a narrow walkway on the bank of the river.
It received permission to put out tables and chairs in the daytime in 2005, using a cobbled section of the path, known as ‘the ramp and the knuckle’.
The Trafalgar Tavern’s manager Vasil Vasilev (pictured) has criticised Greenwich council’s actions over their outdoor seating as ‘just ridiculous’
Among those now hitting back against the proposed closure is the Trafalgar Tavern’s manager Vasil Vasilev
Manager Vasil Vasilev, 41, who has worked at the pub since 2017, said the removal of the outdoor seating would be ‘absolutely ridiculous’.
He added: ‘It would absolutely damage tourism in the area, without any valid reasons whatsoever.
‘It’s just ridiculous. We are not blocking pedestrian access – there’s plenty of room.’
But a council spokesman insisted, following the planning notice, there had been ‘some complaints’ about the seating and stressed the importance of accessibility for ‘people in wheelchairs, the elderly, or people with pushchairs’.
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government said: ‘We’re determined to help pubs thrive and grow as part of our Plan for Change, which is why we’re slashing red tape and have announced a permanent cut to business rates.
‘This is alongside introducing new powers to help local people take control of valued community spaces, including pubs.’
