The Horseshoe Hotel, Egton Bridge: Owner of Grade II-listed Yorkshire pub allowed to retain outdoor beach bar he installed during Covid

Craig Shell was initially allowed to operate the wooden bar in the beer garden of The Horseshoe Hotel in Egton Bridge due to relaxation of the rules in 2020, but these exemptions expired in 2021 and he has now applied to the North York Moors National Park Authority to retain the structure.

The bar, which operates seasonally and brings in an extra £4,000 in income per day, is next to a 1930s summerhouse which has been used as for the judging of the Egton Bridge Gooseberry Show, as a first aid post during World War Two, as staff accommodation, an ice cream shop and a holiday let, and Mr Shell has since converted it into a farm shop.

He also requested consent to paint the wooden bar green and add thatching to its roof it it were to become a permanent feature. Agents for Mr Shell, who is a tenant of the building’s owners the Egton Estate, argued that the hut is not visible unless at close quarters.

The main objection to the proposal came from North Yorkshire County Council’s highways department, who stated concerns about parking and traffic in the village which they feared would be exacerbated by the bar.

However, National Park planning officers gave weight to Mr Shell’s argument that the bar contributed to the hotel’s overall viability. The application was approved with conditions that work must begin within nine months and that if the bar’s use ceases, the structure will be removed.

Last month Mr Shell withdrew a separate planning application to provide overnight facilities for motorhomes after complaints over parking issues.

He and his mother Sharon took over The Horseshoe Hotel in 2020 after a period of neglect, and now offer dining, guest accommodation, farm shop, a glamping site on an island on the River Esk, an outdoor bar and pizza oven.

Two years ago they began to offer toilets and electricity points for campervans to stay overnight in the 18th-century pub’s car park, but were told by North York Moors National Park Authority planning officers that they would require consent for a change of use to accommodate multiple vehicles.

Mr Shell and his agent were advised by the planning department that the application would likely be refused, and instead they requested to be allowed to reduce the number of motorhomes allowed in the car park to just one, meaning a change of use was not required. The National Park Authority agreed.