Upminster’s first micro pub – Tap Room has faced various issues since the owners Caroline Sheldon and Robert Knowles tried to open earlier this year, in May.
After obtaining an alcohol licence for the premises and finishing all preparation, planning committee councillors rejected the change of use application. However, the couple have now been given a temporary event notice that will allow of to open for a total of seven weekend while the decision is appealed, therefore only allowing the micropub to be open for a total of twenty-one days until further notice, which could be months away. The Tap Room will be opening every weekend for the next seven weeks from 11am-11pm Friday – Saturday.
Caroline said : “It’s all been really unfair. We’ve done everything legally and nine out of 10 people can’t wait for it.
“As soon as we put the banner up we had councillors going round asking residents what they thought about it. Shouldn’t it be the other way round? Shouldn’t residents be going to councillors if they have a problem?”
The councillors claim that the application was rejected due to the location of the pub as this is located at the top of a residential street, despite the fact that opposite the pub the street has a petrol station and Indian restaurant.
Upminster Tap Room will open it’s doors temporally to ale lovers from July 31st.