These applications follow that of 19/05926/FUL.

Application No 24/03463/FUL was refused on 24 March 2025.  
This was for permission for the demolition of the existing public house, making good the site, and erection of safety hoarding to secure the site and prevent access by the public. 

Permission was refused due to the absence of a comprehensive plan to redevelop the site to re-provide a public house, which would result in the direct loss of community use.  The following comments were material to the decision

·  Property left to fall into disrepair 
·  Loss of local amenity/public house 
·  Historical interest to locals/irreplaceable asset 
·  Noise, pollution 
·  Sets a precedent for other developers 
·  Loss of an Asset of Community Value 

Anti-social behaviour and drug use were not material to the decision as they are matters for the police and are covered under separate legislation. 

Croydon Local Plan Policy DM21 seeks to protect public houses. Planning permission for demolition or change of use will only be granted if the loss does not result in a shortfall of similar local provision, the pub is deemed economically unviable (based on CAMRA’s Public House Viability Test), and measures to improve viability such as hosting events, diversifying services, or making repairs have been fully explored. The applicant provided an economic viability report suggesting that the pub is unsustainable as a business, citing high renovation costs, competition, and neglect leading to its poor condition. Despite being marketed extensively for over seven years with 88 enquiries, the terms and pricing remain unclear, leaving the evidence of fair marketing inconclusive. Additionally, the dilapidated state of the property, including safety hazards and structural issues, is attributed to long-term neglect rather than the building’s age. It is believed that the asking price set by the current owner (which was never quantified by a professional valuer) was set too high and community groups were unable to raise the significant funds required to purchase the property. 

Application 23/04106/FUL was refused on 2 April 2025 
This was for demolition of the existing public house building, construction of a new seven storey building with roof terrace level and basement to re-provide a public house together with 19 flats with associated access, amenity space, and landscaping works.  This was refused because (amongst other reasons)

• The application failed to justify the proposed level of affordable housing. 
• The proposed development would be excessively tall, bulky and out of scale, making it dominant and incongruous with the surrounding area. Its design lacked cohesion & quality and would harm the area’s character and appearance. 
• The proposed development would not provide an adequate standard of residential accommodation, an adequate level of accessible parking for wheelchair users or safe, secure and accessible cycle storage arrangements.

More information can be found on Croydon Council’s Planning Register https://publicaccess3.croydon.gov.uk/online-applications/

In addition, the area is not short of apartment blocks in the pipeline – either about to be inhabited (Blossoms North & South), stalled (Cherryfields site), in the pipeline (Citilink House, near One Croydon) or recently approved (AIG office recently approved offices to flats conversion). Not to mention further afield – Croydon Park Hotel, the Bellway development on Dingwall Road, the Greystar development on Lansdowne Road, Lunar House, Apollo House…….