Sheffield pub and hotel loses appeal to build a rooftop bar

The Psalter in Nether Edge wanted to create an outdoor rooftop bar with 1.8m high glass enclosure screens and a new external staircase at the front of the building.

Council officers used delegated powers to refuse the application for both planning and health and safety reasons but the pub appealed.

Now a planning inspector has ruled against the pub, saying the rooftop bar would disturb residents and would not be in keeping with the conservation area.

The inspector said: “It is unclear from the evidence how many people would be accommodated on the rooftop, or how that area would be serviced given that the plans indicate the location of the bars on the ground floor.

“I understand that the rooftop area would operate until 10pm, in line with the hours of the forecourt seating area.

“I acknowledge the use of the premises as a pub is well established and there will have been a degree of activity associated with it, the rooftop area would result in a significant degree of external evening activity beyond that which already exists.

“Any noise and disturbance would be significantly increased above its current level. Given the elevated position of the rooftop bar, its projection towards properties on Penrhyn Road and its level with that of the houses opposite, it seems to me that such an increase would cause additional disturbance at a time of night when residents should expect a degree of quiet and as such would be intrusive.

“The proposal would have a significant adverse effect on the living conditions of adjoining residents as a result of noise and disturbance.”

The building was originally two, four-storey Victorian homes which were joined with an extension and opened as the Roslyn Court Hotel in the 1960s.

It later became the Psalter Tavern but the popular pub closed at the end of 2016 following the failure of operator Parity Bars. It was bought in 2017 and reopened in 2020 following a £1m refurbishment.