A furious pub has demanded the council reopen a public car park used by its customers as a matter of urgency.

Representatives from The Case is Altered, in Old Redding, said Harrow Council needs to “sort out” the future of Harrow Viewpoint Car Park to allow it to serve the community fully. 

The car park has been closed on an on-off basis since 2019 due to reports of anti-social behaviour and maintenance work and is set to reopen again “in a few weeks”. 

Staff at the pub said this has had a clearly negative impact on their business, particularly as it struggles to combat the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The Case is Altered said in a statement: “This pub has never had a need for a car park because it’s always worked well with the public one down the road. 

“It’s now been closed for basically two years – why has it taken the council so long to deal with it? 

“They might blame Covid or the weather, but we’ve seen blocks of flats go up in this time. How can they not manage a small patch of flat land?

“People call us up asking when the car park is going to reopen so they can come and visit. And it’s not just us, so many people rely on that car park for the walks and views.”

The pub previously criticised the council’s decision to close the car park, which is about 150 metres down the road, at 6pm each night to curb anti-social behaviour at the site. 

Staff argued most reports of any illegal activity take place after midnight and suggested a “less drastic” closing time of 11pm, even offering to close the gates themselves.   

They added all these measures were harming a local business and its position as a “family, community pub that Harrow should be proud of”.

It launched a petition two years ago against the closures, which has gained more than 4,600 signatures.  

A spokesperson for Harrow Council said: “Work at Old Redding is expected to finish in the next few weeks. 

“We’ve introduced a number of measures to protect the environment, improve accessibility and design out features that made the car park attractive to those committing antisocial behaviour.

“This work, it’s hoped, will deter activities that have a detrimental effect on the area and the lives of those living nearby. 

“We look forward to welcoming back visitors and those wanting to enjoy this local beauty spot responsibly.”