The Golden Beam: Leeds Wetherspoon pub scraps plans to temporarily admit Otley runners
A pub in Leeds has withdrawn its application to temporarily allow participants of the Otley Run to enter its premises.
The Golden Beam, located on Headingley Lane in Headingley, had previously applied for five Temporary Event Notices (TENs) to permit the JD Wetherspoon pub to admit those taking part in the famous pub crawl.
TENs allow licensed venues to temporarily alter or extend their licenses for special occasions. Each venue is permitted a total of 15 TENs per year, meaning the Golden Beam was set to use one-third of its annual allowance.
Plans to relax restrictions on the Otley Run were first proposed in 2024, following a controversial attempt to extend the pub's opening hours beyond midnight.
Headingley and Hyde Park councillors Abdul Hannan and Jonathan Pryor announced on social media that the plans to allow costumed revellers have been shelved.
They stated: "This means there will be no changes, temporary or otherwise, to the Golden Beam’s license, and the condition preventing Otley Runners from entering will remain in effect."
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The Otley Run is a divisive issue among Headingley residents, many of whom oppose the 19-stop pub crawl that stretches from Far Headingley to Leeds city centre.
Last December, locals claimed that the popular event had made weekend life "almost unbearable" due to the large concentration of licensed pubs in a "very small geographical area."
But despite opposition, the pub crawl has grown in recent years, with venues such as Arcadia previously known for barring fancy-dressed groups now opting to welcome them.
A JD Wetherspoon spokesperson confirmed an email was sent to the licencing authority yesterday (May 6) requesting withdrawal.