Selsey pub garden: Plans to improve outdoor seating at The Crown Inn

The Crown Inn, in High Street, is seeking permission for a covered customer seating shelter, a brand-new play area, and a second ‘pergola-type’ customer seating shelter (22/01612/FUL).

It is also hoping to get permission to build a 1.2m fence and reconfigure its car park on the East Street boundary.

The pub suffered ‘significant losses’ during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Part of the applicant’s design and access statement reads: “The applicant has suffered significant financial losses in the operation of his business during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Having been forced to close the pub for lengthy periods during both 2020 and 2021 the applicant decided to increase the businesses external seating area by constructing the pergola at the front of the premises."

It goes on to assure Chichester District Council’s planning department that the plans falls in line with Chichester’s local plan and with Selsey’s neighbourhood plan.

West Sussex County Council’s Highways authority said it did not consider that the plans would have an unacceptable impact on highway safety or result in ‘severe’ cumulative impacts on the operation of the highway network, giving it no reason to object to the proposals.

A determination deadline has been set for the plans on Wednesday, August 17.

The pub is a grade II listed building and is believed to be about 170 and is located in the Selsey Conservation Area and within the designated Selsey Retail Centre.