Cafe pergola saved from the axe after more than 3,000 sign petition

By Kiro Evans, Local Democracy Reporter

A café has won its battle with a council after more than 3,000 people signed a petition to save a pergola.

The outdoor structure at the Westmount Cafe in Westmount Road, Eltham, had looked set to come down after council officers branded it “alien” and “bulky” in a report earlier this year.

But officers have now U-turned on that recommendation after a backlash that included the Greenwich council leader Danny Thorpe and the local MP.

Just short of 3,200 people signed the petition to save the wooden pergola being torn down.

It was erected to provide outdoor seating and the option of an al fresco style dining experience for residents, and was allowed under temporary Covid rules.

Pictured top: The pergola