Community ‘delighted’ after pub saved from being converted into flats without permission

Residents have said they are “delighted” after their local pub was saved from developers who had begun turning the building into flats without permission.

The China Hall pub in Rotherhithe was saved on Friday after a public inquiry announced that developers must reinstate the 300-year old boozer.

Andy Large, chairman of South East London CAMRA, said: “I am delighted with the result.

“I hope it serves as an inspiration to other local planning authorities to defend against unauthorised development that results in the loss of valued community facilities.”

According to Southwark council, developers began to convert the ground-floor of the pub into two flats in January 2022, before planning permission was obtained. 

Enforcement officers from the local authority visited the site and discovered that the bar had been removed, the beer lines cut, fixtures, fittings and carpets stripped out, leaving the ground floor “little more than an empty shell”.

The council issued a planning enforcement notice, which was appealed by the owners, a Southwark council spokesman said.

In May, the appeal went to a public inquiry over three days with more than 18 hours of cross examination. 

Last week, the planning inspector dismissed the appeal, ruling that the pub was unlawfully converted into flats and must once again be a public house.

The pub’s history as a mainstay for the local community proved key to the inspector’s decision.

In their report, the inspector noted that the pub “welcomed” Millwall fans on match days, employing its own security, and had a close association with the Surrey Quays branch of the In2Touch rugby league, which played their games in the park opposite.

Michael Robertson and Steve Cornish of the China Hall Local Community Group said: “We’d like to thank council officers and their legal representatives in their outstanding energies, due diligence, and tenacious amplification of the China Hall’s cultural significance to Rotherhithe and Bermondsey. 

“A legacy of which can now hopefully be enjoyed as public realm for generations to come via the pubs welcomed return.

“In the wake of the horrific tragedy of Rotherhithe’s Albion, the council on this occasion has been outstanding in it’s determined energies toward retention of a pub on the China Hall site.”

Another Rotherhithe pub, the Albion, in Albion Street, is being replaced with a new four-storey block of flats after Southwark council approved its demolition in 2019.

Cllr Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development, described the decision to save China Hall as “a huge win”.

She said: “Pubs are specifically protected by planning policy and for good reason. 

“I’m thrilled that such an important piece of Rotherhithe’s history and community has been protected. It serves as a warning that it is never acceptable for works to go ahead before a planning application has been approved.”

Pictured top: China Hall Pub in Rotherhithe (Picture: Southwark council)