The manager of a pub in Marlow said being forced to remove tables and chairs from a public highway after '14 years with no issues’ has ‘killed’ the business.

On a sunny Thursday evening, Marlow High Street is al-fresco dining and drinking galore – outside The Chequers pub, Grape Expectations wine bar, the Amorino ice cream shop and more, locals and tourists pack out the pavements.

An exception to this late spring hubbub, however, is The George and Dragon pub on The Causeway, where only a few customers gather inside and on recently introduced seating to the left of the premises.

Sumukh Kondaskar, general manager of the pub, says the relative quiet is due to Buckinghamshire Council ordering the business to remove all its outdoor seating, previously spread along the High Street-adjacent pavement, in April with just two days’ notice.

Mr Kondaskar told the Free Press in March that The George and Dragon had been serving customers out-front “for the last 14 years” without encountering any issues but was served a notice by the council stating that the furniture was on a public highway and subject to a £100 pavement fee “out of the blue” just before the Easter Bank Holiday.

He also said that the process of applying for an outdoor furniture licence had turned out to be lengthier and more complicated than he initially hoped.

“We have applied for a table and chairs licence and they’re going to let us know when it goes through. But it’s pretty much killed our business. They should have told us six months in advance – the problem was how sudden it was.

“You don’t get the sun all day on the tables around the corner – people like to sit out and have a drink in the sun. I’ve been working here for eight-and-a-half years, and normally at this time of year, the outside area would be full.

“Our business has gone down, definitely."

Bucks Free Press:

In a statement to the Free Press in March, Mark Winn, Cabinet Member for Homelessness and Regulatory Services, said: “Any business serving food and drink that wishes to place furniture on the public highway for their customers must first apply for a pavement licence from Buckinghamshire Council.

“We know many businesses benefit from additional seating space outside their premises and where it is safe to do so, the council is fully supportive.

“When a licence application is made, council officers will look into the request and make a decision based on a range of factors including the width of the pavement, access requirements and public safety. If furniture is placed on the public highway without a valid licence, the council has the right to request that it be removed immediately until the required licence is granted.

“The council will investigate complaints made regarding street furniture blocking safe public access and any business repeatedly found to be in breach of the conditions of their licence risks having their licence revoked.”