Wetherspoon wins appeal to extend beer garden opening hours in Keswick

A Lake District Wetherspoon pub has won its long-running planning battle to extend the opening hours of its beer garden in Keswick.

JD Wetherspoon had applied to the Lake District National Park Authority to allow its outdoor terrace at the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas on Bank Street to remain open later into the evening. The company initially sought permission to use the beer garden until 11pm.

However, after a planning appeal, an inspector ruled that the outdoor seating area can now stay open until 10pm, extending the previous restriction that required it to close earlier in the evening.

The decision follows years of disputes over how long the pub’s external seating area should operate, with earlier permissions gradually extending opening times from a 6pm closure to 8pm, and now further to 10pm through the latest ruling.

The planning inspector noted that Keswick town centre already has a lively evening atmosphere, with other nearby venues and late-night activity contributing to background noise levels. Even so, concerns had been raised by some residents about potential disturbance from outdoor drinking areas.

JD Wetherspoon has said it would accept a 10pm closing time for the beer garden as part of efforts to balance customer demand with local residential concerns.

The ruling is the latest chapter in a wider debate in the Lake District about how to manage tourism, nightlife, and residential amenity in busy visitor towns like Keswick. 

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