Panic Over for Strand on the Green Pubs

Council says tables can remain pending licensing application approval

Tables were back at The Bell and Crown by Thursday. Picture: Brentford TV

July 3, 2026

Three of Chiswick's best-loved riverside pubs have avoided losing their outdoor tables after Hounslow Council backed down from an order to clear the towpath, following a wave of public anger.

The Bull's Head, the City Barge and the Bell & Crown, all on Strand-on-the-Green, were visited by licensing officers in late June after a routine renewal application from the Bull's Head triggered a wider investigation. That review found none of the three pubs held the formal pavement licence required to keep tables, chairs and other furniture on the public towpath — despite decades of unbroken use.

Officers initially ordered the furniture removed by the start of this week, threatening daily fines for non-compliance. The move sparked a fierce backlash from residents, regulars and local politicians, who branded the crackdown heavy-handed and badly timed, coming at the height of the summer trading season.

Under pressure, the council has now agreed the tables and chairs can stay in place while formal licence applications are assessed — a decision welcomed locally as a win for common sense.

The investigation appears to have begun after newly elected Green councillor Rick Rowe asked officers to look into whether the Bull's Head had permission for seating near the riverside railings, citing concerns about pedestrians being able to pass safely. The pub had recently put up shelving on the railings.

The City Barge, which maintains it owns a strip of land in front of the premises and therefore does not need a licence for its tables, was told to remove similar shelving it had installed. The Bell & Crown was initially told on a Tuesday to clear its seating, only to receive verbal reassurance the following day that no fines would be pursued.

Conservative councillor for Chiswick Riverside, Gabriella Giles, said she had spoken to all three publicans and described widespread shock at how abruptly the change had been demanded, noting that warnings had reportedly been issued by unidentified enforcement staff. She argued licensing decisions should be judged case by case rather than applied uniformly. After the council reversed course, she called the outcome a pragmatic result that could have spared everyone unnecessary stress.

Picture: Bull's Head

Fellow Conservative councillor Jo Biddolph argued licensing should focus on fairness rather than raising revenue, pointing to the financial pressure already facing hospitality businesses.

Cllr Rowe has strongly denied prompting a blanket removal of seating, insisting he has consistently pushed the council to process licence applications quickly and let furniture remain while reviews take place. He said the goal was to balance safe, accessible access to the towpath — for wheelchair users, older residents and families with buggies — with protecting what makes the riverside special.

A council spokesperson, cabinet member for infrastructure Amy Croft, said the authority recognised the value riverside pubs bring to the community, but stressed it has a legal duty to ensure furniture on the public highway does not obstruct access and holds the correct permissions.

The council has withdrawn its original enforcement action against the Bull's Head, and a formal apology is reportedly being prepared.

The resolution came after the issue had attracted national media attention with The Times, The Daily Telegraph and GB News all covering the matter with some strong criticism of the original policy.

The dispute has also spilled into a separate row over free speech online. Photographer Alastair Hilton said he was approached by police in one of the pubs on Thursday (2 July) and warned that a social media post about Cllr Rowe could amount to harassment, after allegedly hinting at the location of the councillor's home. His video of the exchange has since been viewed millions of times, fuelling further debate about the council's handling of the affair.

He posted,” Two policemen have just come into the pub and asked me to step outside. I have stepped outside and they have threatened me because I tweeted about a councillor banning seating outside pubs in Chiswick. They admit on video (watch it!) that I did not break the law at all. They came to threaten me. To warn me off tweeting about councillors and the council. This is modern Britain. This is the police state.”