Pub continues fight to keep outdoor ‘tipi’ after council orders them to remove it within a month

Tuesday, 15 April 2025 00:00

By Chris Gee, Local Democracy Reporter

A long-running saga about an unauthorised teepee in a pub’s beer garden is set to continue.

After enforcement action was started by Bury Council, The Eagle and Child pub in Ramsbottom was ordered to remove the 72-capacity teepee – or tipi – by May 5 as it had been built without planning permission.

An enforcement notice published by the council, said:

“The permanent retention of the ‘tipi’ structure would be seriously detrimental to the residential amenities of surrounding residents, by reason of the noise, disturbance and general activity associated with the proposed use, including customers leaving and accessing vehicles late in the evening.”

The notice said that to remedy the planning breach the pub was required to remove the structure and heating apparatus that serves it by May 5. Daniel Thwaites Ltd, who operate the pub, have appealed the enforcement action with a decision on that yet to be made.

Last September, Thwaites was first told to remove the teepee at the rear of the pub after retrospective planning permission was rejected. The structure was built without being authorised by Bury Council during the Covid pandemic and has been in operation ever since, hosting smaller wedding
celebrations and other events.

The council turned down plans to retain it on the issues of the generation of traffic and noise. In February, a fresh application was lodged by Daniel Thwaites Ltd seeking permission to keep the the timber frame and UPVC tepee for another 18 months.

Thwaites, said:

“We respectfully request that planning permission is granted for the tepee and external heating for a temporary period of 18 months in order to enable the Eagle and Child to continue accommodating modest sized functions and events while a more permanent solution evolved and planning
permission sought.”

The brewery said such permission would

“enable existing bookings to be honoured and for new bookings to be taken”.

It added:

“These functions and events make an important contribution to the overall viability of the pub and this diversification and additional ‘offer’ has helped the premises weather the current challenging economic times being faced by the hospitality sector.”

The temporary extension application was refused by Bury Council last month.

The Eagle and Child’s website currently states the teepee is available for ‘christenings, funerals, birthday parties, Christmas parties and any other celebration’.

It adds that it offer a ‘full music system’ an ‘food packages to suit your individual preferences’.

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