Beatles tour landmark looking to expand

Sep 11 2007 by Larry Neild, Liverpool Daily Post

PENNY LANE is to be put under the microscope next week to see if more can be done to improve the potential of the area for worldwide fans of the Beatles.

A delegation of politicians from the council’s planning committee will visit on Tuesday following an application by the owner of Sgt Peppers cafe bar in Smithdown Place to extend the one-time tram stop.

The 29-seat cafe bar closed more than a year ago, with owner Ray Maatook saying the limited size of the premises made it uneconomic to operate as a going concern.

He submitted proposals to add an upper floor to the tram stop, famed as the shelter in the middle of a roundabout in the Beatles’ song Penny Lane.

The aim was to increase the floor space to attract more diners and visitors on the Beatles trail.

Council planning officers want the scheme to be refused, mainly because they say a roof extension will have a detrimental impact on the nearby St Barnabas Church at the corner of Allerton Road and Penny Lane.

They added that an upper extension on what was built as a single storey structure could create an alien feature in the street-scene around Penny Lane.

Instead of backing the refusal recommendation, the committee decided to defer a final decision to enable them to carry out a site visit.

Committee chairman Cllr Dave Irving said: “I believe it would be useful for us to look at the area around Penny Lane to see if there is anything we can do. This is an important area for Beatles aficionados. There may be some views we can come up that will be helpful.”

With Beatles tourism on the increase in Liverpool, Penny Lane is a popular stopping point for fans of the group.

Originally the building was used as a tram stop and inspectors’ office, with public toilets added to the rear of the building.

When the building closed as a transport facility it became a cafe and restaurant, decorated with Beatles photographs, artwork, posters and memorabilia.

Until 2002 Mr Maatook rented the building from the council, but then negotiated to buy the freehold. He had originally taken it over in 1990.

Architects have designed a rooftop extension with skylights built into an all-slate roof to minimise the impact of an upper floor on the locality.

larryneild@dailypost.co.uk