Pub's helicopter plan for garden deemed 'out of character' as it's thrown out

The move by Fourways Bar and Grill in Rowley Regis would have seen the Westland Lynx helicopter lowered into the pub’s garden alongside a new seating area but the plan has been rejected by Sandwell Council.

The council’s planners said the pub had not shown it could accommodate 70 more visitors or their cars.

And the council was concerned the extra customers would lead to off-street parking and more noise for neighbours.

Drawings in the application showed the army helicopter on a raised platform with space inside for up to ten people to eat and drink. A new outdoor seating area for up to 60 people would also have been built.

Two plans for a new outdoor seating area were rejected by Sandwell Council in 2022 over concerns the extra customers would flood the pub’s car park and cause issues at a busy junction.

Rejecting the application, Sandwell Council’s planners said the helicopter and raised platform would be “unduly prominent” and “out of character for the area.”

“The proposal to create external seating areas does cause serious concern because there are houses on Portway Road and Portway Hill close to the site and residents are likely to be adversely affected by noise from up to 70 customers using the outside areas,” planners said.

“No information is provided to indicate the hours during which the outside seating areas would operate and no noise mitigation measures are shown on the plan.

“The applicant has failed to demonstrate that there would be sufficient off-street car parking capacity within the site to accommodate an increase in vehicular trips generated by the proposed covered seating area.

“Therefore, considering the proximity of the public house to the busy signalised junction on Newbury Lane, and in the absence of sufficient information to demonstrate otherwise, there is potential for the proposal to cause highway safety issues.”