Statement regarding planning inspectorate outcome

A spokesperson for the Royal Borough of Greenwich said: “We’re really proud of Greenwich Town Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage site visited by millions of people every year.  

“We’ve been clear throughout this process that we have a duty to make sure the Thames Path is accessible for everyone. It’s a narrow stretch that is constantly in use, and it needs to be easy for people with disabilities, the elderly, or people with pushchairs to use.  

“We have always said we wanted to find a sensible solution without compromising on accessibility or setting a precedent for a private business to stake a claim to a public part of land in a world heritage site.  

“The planning inspector has concluded that the pub could, in principle, use a small portion of the path - subject to it successfully submitting strict and detailed plans to us for approval. This is a positive outcome as it means there will be restrictions in place to safeguard the path from unnecessary clutter, making sure it is safe to use."