New Bid to Convert Historic Pub into Flat
Latest plan is just for ground floor of former Mawson Arms
Left: The site as it was in 1915. Right: The pub has been closed since 2020
November 10, 2026
A fresh planning application has been submitted to convert the long-vacant Mawson Arms in Chiswick into a single two-bedroom flat, after Hounslow Council.
The Grade II* listed building on Chiswick Lane South, which operated as the Mawson Arms and Fox and Hounds before closing in 2020, was previously the subject of plans to create two flats. Those proposals were refused in March 2025, with council planners citing concerns over the loss of a community facility, poor living conditions for future occupants, inadequate amenity space, noise issues and uncertainty over servicing arrangements.
The revised scheme seeks permission to convert only the ground floor former pub into one large two-bedroom apartment while retaining the existing residential accommodation on the upper floors. According to the applicant's planning statement, the redesigned proposal aims to address the reasons for refusal by reducing the number of units, providing private outdoor space and introducing dedicated cycle and refuse storage.
The pub occupies one end of the historic Mawson's Row terrace, a Grade II* listed group of early 18th-century townhouses built around 1715. The building is particularly notable as the former home of the poet Alexander Pope, who lived there between 1716 and 1719 while working on his translation of Homer's Iliad. The heritage assessment describes the terrace as a rare survival of early Georgian architecture and highlights both its association with Pope and its longstanding connection to Fuller's Brewery.
Planning documents argue that the ground-floor pub has now been vacant for more than four years and that extensive marketing has failed to identify a viable public house operator. The applicant says the property was initially marketed in late 2021 and continued to be advertised after its purchase in 2023, generating 21 enquiries and five viewings but no successful letting. Agents concluded there was "no viability" in operating the premises as a pub.
The applicant also argues that the pub's traditional role was closely tied to its function as a brewery tap for the neighbouring Griffin Brewery and that changing patterns of operation had left the business with limited prospects.
The Mawsons Arms and The Fox and Hounds before closure
Under the revised plans, a mid-20th century toilet block attached to the rear would be removed to create a private courtyard garden for future residents. Heritage consultants say the removal of the modern addition would help restore an historic open space and better reveal the significance of the listed building. They contend that most of the pub's surviving ground-floor interior is of modern origin and has limited heritage value.
The heritage assessment concludes that the proposal would bring a vacant listed building back into what it describes as an "optimum viable use" and have a positive effect on the building's significance by securing investment in its long-term maintenance.
Noise and air quality reports submitted with the application acknowledge the challenges posed by the site's location beside the A4 and next to brewery operations. However, consultants say secondary glazing, upgraded building fabric and mechanical ventilation would provide acceptable living conditions for occupants, while air quality modelling found no expected breaches of national objectives.
To see further details of the proposal and make comments, visit the planning section of the Hounslow Council web site and search using reference: P/2026/3145.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We’ve always done that and won’t be changing, in fact we’d like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we’d be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you’d like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |