AROUND 300 people have signed a petition against plans to demolish one of the oldest buildings in Sydenham.

The Greyhound pub has been on the site in Kirkdale, Sydenham, since 1720 but will close for business on August 13.

Community group The Sydenham Society has set up a petition against the closure which has so far attracted about 300 signatures.

Milford Group, a company specialising in planning and regeneration, is acting as agents on behalf of Wealdfrost, a consortium which is buying the land.

Head of architecture and planning for Milford Group Lee Barker said: "It's quite early stages at the moment.

"We'd like to consult more with the wider public before we put in an application.

"All we've put in so far are some very early ideas which we've discussed with the council and The Sydenham Society."

Mr Barker said current plans for the development involved the demolition of the current pub building, which dates back to 1874, and building a replacement pub or bar, shops and homes.

But chairman of The Sydenham Society Pat Trembath said: "The locals are very upset about it.

"It's a big pub and it's very busy and if it goes all the regulars will have nowhere to meet."

Protestor Liam Curran, 45, said he had written to London Mayor Ken Livingstone and English Heritage calling for action against the number of pubs being closed in south London.

Mr Curran, a public relations worker from Clowders Road, Catford, said the Greyhound was one of eight Lewisham pubs to have closed in the past six months.

He said: "We are witnessing the wholesale destruction of a major part of our history and culture and are seemingly powerless to do anything about it."

Regular customer Geoff Fox, 73, of Kinver Road, Sydenham, said the pub was one of the oldest buildings in Sydenham.

The retired printer, who has lived in the area for 30 years, said he was worried about the number of pubs closing down.

He said: "I've been coming to the Greyhound since 1977 and it fulfils a social function. We've already lost a lot of other pubs round here.

"The problem is people can make more money out of flats than they can out of a pub."

A spokeswoman for Lewisham Council said: "We have not yet received any planning application which outlines proposals for the possible redevelopment of this site and therefore cannot comment on a proposal we have not yet seen."

The Mayor of London's office was unavailable for comment.