Pub which The Rolling Stones once performed in set for revamp

By Charlotte Lillywhite, Local Democracy Reporter

A new outdoor terrace is set to open at a London pub famous as one of the capital’s oldest live music venues, despite neighbours’ fears punters will be able to see into their bedrooms.

Wandsworth council has approved the plans for The Half Moon, in Putney, where The Rolling Stones have performed.

The plans from pub chain Young’s include extending the venue’s first floor to create a new terrace with a retractable roof and spiral staircase.

The appearance of the venue, on Lower Richmond Road, is also set to be revamped with fresh paint and minor redecoration.

The council’s planning committee approved the scheme on Tuesday with extra conditions, including restricting the use of the spiral staircase to emergency purposes after 11pm.

Labour councillor Leonie Cooper said: “I accept obviously that this is on a busy road, it’s near noisy things. But because it’s higher up and because immediately behind it there are all these flats…  it seems to me that this could be very noisy.”

But Nick Calder, head of development management at the council, said the extension would go up “rather than out and across” so would not cause “undue noise” when considered with the neighbouring 24-hour petrol station.

All windows and doors in the building must be closed after 11pm.

Neighbours had objected to the plans in letters to the council, with concerns about noise and the terrace overlooking flats in neighbouring John Keall House.

A report by council officers added the terrace and staircase would be at least 27 metres from windows at the back of John Keall House, “which is considered to be a sufficient distance to ensure views into these residential windows would be limited, and no unacceptable adverse privacy impact would occur”.

The pub was rebuilt in 1903 and later transformed into a live music venue. A statement submitted with the application said it would be a “considerable investment” into the pub to “improve its long-term viability, making it more attractive and inviting for potential patrons”.

A Young’s spokesperson previously said: “Young’s takes its role as a neighbour seriously and the application has been supported by numerous technical assessments to ensure the proposed terrace is appropriate.”

Pictured top: Half Moon, 93 Lower Richmond Road, Putney (Picture: Google Street View)