CAMPAIGNERS have hailed a planning decision which should see an eighteenth century pub go on serving locals for years to come.

The Greyhound pub in Kirkdale, which has been on its current site since 1720 and has been visited by poets such as Lord Byron and Sir Walter Scott, was in danger of demolition by developers in 2007.

But following a campaign by community group the Sydenham Society and pub campaigner Liam Curran, Lewisham Council agreed to create a new conservation area which included the building.

Around 300 people had signed a petition to keep the pub open with protestors arguing it was of architectural importance and a key part of the town's character.

Now, in a move welcomed by the campaigners, a Lewisham Council planning committee has approved plans to only partially demolish the pub, allowing part of it to still be used.

The rest of the site will be converted into 40 houses along with shops and a public square.

Mr Curran, 48, of Clowders Road, Catford, said after the decision: “Pubs are part of the glue that keeps communities together and this campaign shows that when people pull together they can make great achievements.

“I hope the developers will take their responsibilities seriously and ensure that we have a lively, thriving pub at the Greyhound as soon as possible."

Mr Curran, who is now standing as a Labour councillor, claims the borough has lost 10 of its pubs in the past four years.

Vice chairman of the Sydenham Society Annabel McLaren said: “We’re very pleased that it’s been given the go-ahead and we look forward to the pub reopening.

“It’s been three years since the developers announced that they would demolish the pub but it’s excellent they’ve now decided to refurbish it instead.

“The new retail space is also really going to help the economy in the town centre.”