Extra Protection Against Redevelopment for Four Putney Pubs
Planning permission now need for change of use in the borough
Putney's Railway granted Article 4 protection
Wandsworth Council has removed permitted development rights from 120 of the borough's bars and taverns. Locally they include The Bricklayers Arms, Arab Boy and Railway in Putney and The Cat’s Back on the Putney/ Wandsworth border.
In June, Thamesfield councillor Jim Maddan OBE campaigned for the protection of the Railway façade requesting an Article 4 listing. He told this website, "The distinctive façade of the Railway is part of the Victorian heritage of our high street, and I would hate to see it disappear".
Cllr Maddan CBE told PutneySW15.com:
"I am
delighted that the council has taken this action. At the moment owners of licensed
premises do not need permission to convert a pub into a corner shop, a cafe or into flats
Now they will have to go through a full planning application. This affords the community to
have their say and comment on any proposals good or bad. The Railway is an iconic building and it would be a great pity to see it disappear under a
pile of dust without a fight."
It means these local venues can no longer be converted into mini-supermarkets, estate agents, homes or shops without the need for planning permission.
Wandsworth is the first local authority in the country to grant ‘Article 4 Directions’ on this scale and the pioneering move could be copied up and down the country to help defend the nation’s vulnerable pub trade.
In recent years an alarming number of local inns and taverns, including many viable and thriving businesses, have been quietly converted into other uses. Councils have been powerless to stop them, as owners have ‘permitted development rights’ allowing them to make the change without the need for planning permission.
The fast spread of mini-supermarkets has exacerbated the problem, with the major chains competing all over the country to find new premises and often choosing to convert pubs rather than taking over existing retail units.
But following Wandsworth Council’s ground breaking move all 120 pub owners affected will have to seek approval from the town hall before changing the building use or knocking it down.
In preparation for the Article 4 Directions, the council has already approved new planning guidance which specifically recognises the historic, architectural and community value of Wandsworth’s pubs.
This new policy, which prompted The Publican Morning Advertiser to ask if Wandsworth is officially ‘the country’s most pub-friendly council’, now gives councillors valid grounds to refuse applications to convert any of these 120 venues into another use.
Deputy council leader Jonathan Cook, pictured rights said: “Wandsworth’s pubs are now the best protected in the entire country and have a genuine defense against the relentless spread of mini-supermarkets and estate agents. We know how much our residents love their locals and in many cases they really are the epicenter of community life. I’m proud and delighted we’ve found a way to protect them.
“I very much hope that other councils will follow our lead by adopting pub-friendly planning policies and then stripping away permitted development rights from their local inns, bars and taverns. This could be a real turning point for our nation’s superb but vulnerable pub trade and Wandsworth is more than ready to share its approach with other authorities.”
The 120 bars and pubs were chosen due to their historic or architectural value or because they make a positive contribution to their community.
Some pubs that are currently closed have also been given protection, including the White Lion in Putney High Street the council hopes this will give an added incentive to the owners to bring them back into use.
The Article 4 Directions were published on 12 August 2016 and pub owners have all been notified.
August 17, 2016