Pub squatters given six months to clear off ahead of flat development

By Harrison Galliven, Local Democracy Reporter

Merton council has announced enforcement action against illegal squatters at a derelict Mitcham pub, paving the way for the site to be redeveloped for 18 new flats.

While this announcement has been welcomed, the council has given the squatters six months to comply with the enforcement action, so the issue could drag on.

This has concerned some residents, who fear the White Hart, in London Road, could suffer the same fate as the Burn Bullock opposite if not addressed soon. That pub was also squatted in and ended up being destroyed in a fire.

Tony Burton, of the Mitcham Cricket Green Community and Heritage Group (MCGCH), said the eventual removal of the squatters was ‘welcomed’, and would make way for long-anticipated work on the site.

Under the plans, the White Hart would be refurbished and a new-build created to the rear in the former car park. They stipulate that the pub’s ground floor would maintain its original character, while the upstairs would be used for accommodation.

According to developers Gateway Realty Ltd: “The annexe building completes a courtyard form, providing a shared garden space to be activated by both the residential and the future public house activity.” Planning permission for the development was given in 2020, but no work has taken place since.

The MCGCH initially objected to the plans because they said it would have a ‘significant visual impact on the conservation area’, where the pub is located. But it now views the flats as the most realistic chance of securing the future of the White Hart.

The MCGCH added: “It is not only nationally listed Grade II but also prominent in the historic townscape at the heart of the conservation area and adjacent to the world’s oldest cricket ground. Together with the Burn Bullock, it provides a connection to the area’s location on the historic coaching route south and the role of these two former coaching inns.”

The Burn Bullock made headlines in March after a huge fire, which caused extensive damage. Like the White Hart, the Burn Bullock previously housed squatters after closing down in 2014.

The MCGCH have now raised concerns that the White Hart could suffer the same fate as its neighbour if left unaddressed.

Mr Burton said: “People have made a few complaints, and obviously there are parallels with what went on at the Burn Bullock, which also had people inside it before it burnt down.

“Both pubs are in disrepair, both are vacant and both are eyesores. We need long-term solutions for both.”

Pictured top: The White Hart – a former coaching inn with Grade II listing (Picture: Google Street View)