THE owner of a Bewdley pub believes he’s lost tens of thousands of pounds in sales because of a rejected application for outdoor seating on the riverside.

Earlier this year, Mr Hossey Saghri, who runs The Mug House Inn and Restaurant on Severn Side North, made an application to Worcestershire County Council to allow furniture to return to the off-road riverside spot outside his pub.

After a consultation period, Mr Saghri said he enquired about his application for the license only to find it had been rejected.

Mr Saghri said: “To my huge surprise I was told highways objected to it. Those tables and chairs have been out there for the last 20 years.”

Kidderminster Shuttle: In previous summers, The Mug House has been able to set up outdoor seating on Severn Side North In previous summers, The Mug House has been able to set up outdoor seating on Severn Side North

Mr Saghri explained that he was notified that the basis of refusal was that seating could be a danger and potentially cause an accident.

But the owner said the tables and chairs have historically been placed outside the pub. He estimates his pub has lost tens of thousands of pounds in sales because of not having additional outside seating throughout the lockdown.

Mr Saghri added: “You would think the council would go out of their way to support hospitality, having been shut for the last 14 months.

“It’s the difference between us making a profit or not making a profit. Some councils have closed roads to allow for this.”

Speaking on the issue, Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier said it’s the “complete opposite” of what the business needs.

He said: “This is a time when the council should be bending over backwards to help traders and I do appreciate there is a will within local government to do everything they can to help. But with quite obvious liability issues over the granting of licenses if someone is hurt (in this case, by a very infrequent vehicle losing control at the dizzy speed of 10 MPH), the council does need to exercise its duty of care to all of us. So some imaginative thinking is needed.”

He also said he is exploring a plan with the council that could see Severn Side North closed to traffic for eleven or twelve hours a day to allow cafes and pubs to have more tables across the road.

A Worcestershire County Council spokesperson said: “The council continues to work with businesses in Severn Side North and South regarding tables and chairs outside of their properties. We understand the challenges facing our local hospitality businesses and are doing whatever we can to support them, whilst balancing this with the safety of our residents."

Officers from the district and county councils visited the premises yesterday (Wednesday June 16) to explore options available and see what could be done to help the licensees.