Overview

• Rayner opted not to use her ministerial powers after being urged to overrule Greenwich Council’s enforcement notice against the Trafalgar Tavern
• In March the council ordered the Grade II–listed pub to remove riverside tables, umbrellas and chairs over unauthorized daytime use of the Thames Path
• The tavern secured outdoor seating rights in 2005 under a Section 16 agreement and warns that losing the beer garden could cost dozens of local jobs and harm tourism
• By deferring to the Planning Inspectorate, Rayner leaves the pub’s appeal under review and maintains a stay on enforcement until an inspector delivers a decision by October
• The dispute underscores a wider debate over heritage protection, pedestrian access on public paths and government pledges to cut planning red tape