A PUB landlord is facing a bill for thousands of pounds after planners ordered him to remove decking from his beer garden, reports Andy Bloxham.

Kendal licensee Damian Savage, who runs the Masons' Arms, on Stramongate, was refused retrospective planning permission for a 1.8 metre-high (6ft) expanse of wooden decking in the pub's yard.

He now faces what he estimates is a £2,500 bill to remove the decking that cost him £5,500 to put up in the first place.

After South Lakeland District Council's planning committee ordered him to ditch the decking, he said: "I'm disgusted at the decision."

He said: "As a small businessman in Kendal, I can't really afford this amount of money with the increased competition from extra pubs that have come into town."

Asked if he should have checked with SLDC before putting up the decking, Mr Savage said he had sought advice from the internet, builders and joiners, and permission did not seem necessary.

He said the decking had actually made the beer garden safer for disabled customers than the "messed up" cobbles that, for the moment, were concealed by the wooden planks.

During the meeting, one resident of Blackhall Croft, a nearby block of retirement flats, complained about the increased noise the elevated beer garden generated.

"The noise has been horrendous," said Lyn Tomlinson. "Now we can even hear the conversations of the customers."

She said the elevated decking affected residents' privacy: "We have had people waving at us, shouting at us, making us feel as though we shouldn't go to our balconies and windows, as we were intruding on the customers' privacy!"

She added ashtrays from the beer garden had been emptied over cars parked on the other side of its wall.

She told councillors that when residents of Blackhall Croft bought their apartments, none of them had any idea there was a beer garden at the back.

However, Coun Charles Batteson said: "The pub has been there considerably longer than the residential development."

Coun Gill Cranwell said the committee tended to find excuses to allow retrospective planning permission and added: "It should never have been there in the first place."

The committee voted to refuse retrospective per-mission on the grounds the decking was too high and both detrimental and unneighbourly. Councillors gave Mr Savage six months to remove it.

After the vote, Coun Batteson slammed the decision, saying he did not think it had been taken on rational grounds: "My view is that we are demeaning the repute of the council."

Mr Savage intends to appeal.