Wetherspoon outline plans for beer garden at Newport pub

JD Wetherspoon is seeking planning permission to build the 140sqm modern terrace area at the rear of The Queens Hotel in Bridge Street.

The Grade II listed building currently serves as one of the chain’s Lloyds No 1 bars.

A planning report says: “Customers of the public house and hotel do not have the benefit of any external amenity spaces.

“The public house also lacks the facility of an external area where customers who wish to can smoke.

“These proposals are intended to remedy these deficiencies and provide a pleasant semi-enclosed environment.

“The creation of the new terrace garden area introduces soft landscaping into an area where none currently exists.”

The beer garden would be built in the service area and courtyard, which the firm say is only partially used for deliveries, storage and car parking.

Proposals include the installation of ‘high quality décor’, visually appealing planted pergolas, glass screens and low-level amenity and decorative lighting.

The report says there will be no amplified music or PA system in the beer garden, and that it will keep the same opening hours as the remainder of the pub.

An extension to the existing CCTV system has also been proposed, with the only access to the terrace coming from the existing customer area.

The terrace will share a common level with the existing pub, allowing wheelchair bound customers equal access to the beer garden.

The application for listed building consent was submitted to Newport City Council this week.

Lloyds No 1 has been open since 2009, with JD Wetherspoon investing around £900,000 to redevelop the building.

The report adds: “[JD Wetherspoon] have invested considerably in the building to externally redecorate, repair and sympathetically enhance and re-furbish the interior of the building as a traditional public house.”

The building, which was granted listed status in 1980, was close to being sold at auction in February last year but the sale was withdrawn.