A Kenilworth bistro on a closed town centre street has been given permission to keep its outside seating.

Warwickshire County Council (WCC) signed off on plans to permanently shut the end of Station Road earlier this year, following nearly two years of the temporary closure.

And while town councillors continue to decide what will happen to the road - with a temporary pocket park currently in place - Pomeroys Bistro has been granted a new pavement licence to keep its existing outside seating.

The Station Road eatery has been allowed to keep its existing eight tables and 16 chairs, making no changes to the current set up.

The application says the outdoor seating will be available to customers from 8.30am to 10.30pm Monday to Wednesday, 8.30am to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and then from 9am to 5pm on Sundays.

The licence is in place until the end of September 2024.

New laws on pavement licences were brought into effect in the summer of 2020 to make it easier for businesses to apply for permission to put furniture outside during the pandemic.

Pomeroys has also recently announced that it will be closing on Mondays and Tuesdays from October.

A pocket park has been built at the closed end of Station Road (image by James Smith)

Kenilworth Town Council has previously considered the idea of completely pedestrianizing the end of Station Road, and encouraging local businesses to set up more tables and chairs in the street.

When discussing the road prior to the May elections, councillors said local people and businesses need to be involved in choosing what is built there.

And members revealed last year that it could cost up to £50,000 to pave the closed section on the road.

The county council announced in February that the road would be shut permanently, following a public consultation that was criticised by town councillors.

The scheme had the backing of the town council, while the county's consultation early last year led to letters both in favour and against.

Meanwhile a survey of Nub News readers - which had more responses than the council's consultation - also found locals were split evenly on whether Station Road should remain shut.

The county council hailed the success of a temporary road closure which was aimed at reducing collisions and near misses.