A WIRRAL pub has had its proposal for outdoor drinking approved - a plan that may be vital to ensuring it survives the coronavirus pandemic.

The owners of Mississippi’s in Bebington want to allow people to drink alcohol in the outdoor space at the front of its premises in order to compensate for the temporary loss of capacity social distancing rules have caused.

Wirral Council's licensing sub-committee approved the plans, meaning up to 12 people spread across three tables will be allowed to eat or drink in the pub's outdoor area.

Patrons will not be allowed to eat or drink in the outdoor area without a table to sit at and the outdoor space will be closed at 10pm, with signs to be put up informing customers.

There were three representations against the plan from locals.

They related to noise nuisance and anti-social behaviour, which they believed to be caused by some of the pub’s customers standing in the outdoor area of the premises.

The three residents were worried that this would get worse if patrons were allowed to drink alcohol in the outside space also.

Peter Elliot spoke against the pub’s plans at the sub-committee meeting, he said it was “impractical” to have people drinking outside the pub as it is a slim area which already gets busy when people go there to smoke.

He thought there was potential for “disorderly behaviour” to develop if people are drinking outside throughout the day and this would be uncomfortable for vulnerable people using services close to the pub such as the shop and the GP surgery.

But Paul Houghton, co-owner of Mississippi's, said he did not think the licence change would cause disruption or a noise nuisance to nearby residents due to the considerate way the pub was being managed.

He added that there had been no representations from the residents who lived closest to the premises.