A Deptford group is campaigning against the redevelopment of a pub.
Plans for the Lord Palmerston pub on the corner of Childers Street and Arklow Road propose 12 one-bedroom flats with the retention of the pub on the ground floor.
Campaigners say the pub will not be economically viable and will lead to a loss of culture and heritage in the area.
The proposal involves reducing the size of the pub, something that the DeptfordFolk group believe will reduce its viability as a business.
DeptfordFolk is a parks group representing Deptford Park and Folkestone Gardens and focuses on protecting and enhancing the parks and improving the routes used to access them.
Speaking on behalf of the group Trina said: “It is removing a bit of our cultural heritage. It is an industrial area, it is a working man’s pub in that area and it was an operational pub until recently.
“In addition to the parks we are also concerned with the roads and facilities around the park. People can go to the park and then the can go and eat and drink at the pub.
“People are moving to this area and we need the facilities and if we don’t protect them now, they will be gone.
“We’re concerned with how it looks and whether it can be a viable business. We asked people in hospitality and they said no.
“There are no disabled toilets or baby-changing facilities. This is our community and it isn’t just for able bodied people with no children.”
The group are also concerned that residents above the pub may complain about noise levels and licensing hours, which could lead to the pub’s eventual closure.
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A statement from the DeptfordFolk group said: “We agree with CAMRA that ‘well run pubs play a pivotal role in local communities.’
“People need spaces to go and be together. Parks, pubs, cafes and our streets are part of the mix that allows community to grow.”
Lewisham Planning refused the proposal from developers Regional Enterprise in November 2016 but they have since made an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.
The council refused the original application because the development would ‘detract from the original character and historic value of the non-designated heritage asset.'
They added: “The incompatibility of the commercial and residential uses may serve to compromise the viability and operation of a future public house on the premises.”
Members of the public can get in touch with the Planning Inspectorate and have their say on the proposal up until August 1.
The proposal reference is APP/C5690/W/17/3174029.
News Shopper has contacted Regional Enterprise, which is a joint venture between Barnet Council and Capita, for comment.
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