Two Wetherspoons pubs in Croydon set to close

By Tara O’Connor, Local Democracy Reporter

Two Croydon JD Wetherspoon pubs are on the market for a total of more than £300,000 a year.

The pub chain closed down the pair of pubs earlier this year.

The Milan Bar, in the High Street is now “under offer”, according to estate agent Savills. The space was listed for £211,980 a year. After 20 years in the town centre, it closed on Valentine’s Day this year.

On top of the annual rent, the new tenant will have to pay more than £63,000 in annual service charges. It has a licence to serve alcohol until 2am, Sunday to Thursday, and until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays.

The other former JD Wetherspoon pub up for grabs is The Skylark in South Croydon. Despite a strong local campaign to save it, the pub closed its doors for good at the end of March.

The pub in South End is listed with a price tag of offers in excess of £90,000 a year. The listing said the pub had a licence to serve alcohol until midnight on Sundays to Thursdays and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

The listings come as pubs and restaurants in Croydon are struggling to meet rising energy costs.

Last week, Matthew Sims, CEO of the Croydon Business Improvement District, said there are “serious concerns” across the hospitality sector.

He said: “We face a very uncertain future, we need those who lead us to make the right choices so we can grow and recover. Businesses are finding it more and more difficult to do business. With that comes concerns of increased closures.”

Pictured top: The Skylark in South End, South Croydon (Picture: Google Street View)