New plan to demolish Greenwich pub

Plans are back to demolish the former Thames pub in Greenwich, which was previously the Rose and Crown. Proposals to demolish the building were first submitted 16 months ago. Greenwich Council refused the application from Cobalt Equity Management Limited and the appeal was dismissed.

The planning inspector did not refuse the appeal due to the building’s merit however despite stating:

The building is of a traditional London stock brick construction and there is no doubt that given its location in an area that is largely devoid of its historic built environment it is an example of one of few remaining Victorian buildings in this part of the borough and is included on historic mapping going back over a century. It contains brick quoining, chamfered corner profiles, incised stonework and diaper strong courses along with what appear to be a full set of
original windows. In architectural terms the building is reflective of a style of architecture that is not prevalent in the locality and does have some cultural and social significance as a former dock workers public house.

It was refused on the grounds of inadequate living conditions for future occupiers.



New plans

Now another plan is in. In this new application the developers claim that the “building is in very poor repair and beyond economic refurbishment”.

The site of the pub

There’s also a lot of statements I’d take exception to in the planning documents. They claim the “building is lost against these dominant built forms that backdrop the main viewing vantage points from the south and the east” which is a bit of a nonsense at street level. It fits well into the existing urban setting.

Another statement that “the somewhat dilapidated architectural style of the existing building is wholly at odds with the prevailing architecture”.

Well, its dilapidated as it hasn’t been maintained but the architectural style works extremely well in that location offering a welcome contrast to modern blocks at New Capital Quay and compliments the interwar estate alongside.

It’s also one of the few links back to how the area formerly appeared.

The new building appears to have few windows, and small ones at that. Is that the solution to concerns of overlooking?

They’ve gone for the metal shack on the roof approach. Quelle surprise. Never a good sign. Zinc cladding on a recessed box is all too common, and all too commonly shit.

The use of zinc cladding has reached its nadir at Preston station with a new entrance so wildly horrific it defies belief. It’s up for the carbuncle cup. If clicking through shield the eyes of those of a sensitive disposition.

In case you couldn’t tell I’m not much in favour of this. The old building retains buckets of charm and works brilliantly in its context alongside 1930s and 21st Century buildings. To knock it down for a generic building with poor detailing and a meagre increase in new homes (and some are studios at that) seems an awful waste.

It could be the thriving heart of this part of Greenwich. Not a mass-market chain pub nor a tourist spot yet a place that offers great food and drink alongside live music and events in the vicinity of new developments and flats that number into the thousands.

The planning application is 18/0700/F. Click here to search and comment.

Researching local news and issues such as this planned demolition takes time. I run the site on my own in my spare time. Any help is much appreciated and you can donate at Patreon.com/TheMurkyDepths

 

------------------

Adverts are far from enough to cover site costs and my rent.

You can support me via Paypal here

Another option is via Patreon by clicking here

You can also buy me a beer/coffee at Ko-fi here

There's also a Facebook page for the site here

Many thanks

J Smith

I've lived in south east London most of my life growing up in Greenwich borough and working in the area for many years. The site has contributors on occasion and we cover many different topics. Living and working in the area offers an insight into what is happening locally.

7 thoughts on “New plan to demolish Greenwich pub

  • With the propensity of RBG to sell off Housing Estates for profit, could this be the Trojan Horse, to start teh rot behind so one by one the 1930’s flats get sold off for profit. I would put nothing past this so called “Labour” Council

    Reply
    • I would put nothing past Tory money grabbing Councillors.

      Reply
  • would be a shame to see it knocked down, its a lovely old Pub

    Reply
  • -could have been a nice pub- Now it’s just a derelict piece of sh*t.

    It’s a shame the first planning permission never got build, I think 2 iterations ago.
    Then it was going to be improved with a couple of flats above. After that I think being sold several times. Previous one tossed out because people complained about the height. Funny how people who (like me) live in a tall new-built want to deny others the same opportunity.

    “could be the thriving heart of this part of Greenwich. Not a mass-market chain pub nor a tourist spot yet a place that offers great food and drink alongside live music and events”

    Sounds fanciful, but the market seems to think otherwise. Don’t foresee an independent is going to stump the 1-2 M investment to obtain a cozy small scale venue. Heck, even the riverview units have been empty for years. Even the old frankie and benny right in front of the Cutty sark and Naval College is still empty.

    In the meantime, while everyone is dreaming and complaining about the next planning permission, we live next to a dilapidating environment. This place has been empty at least for as long as I’ve lived here

    Reply
  • Pingback: Demolition of another Greenwich pub starts in April 2018 – From The Murky Depths

  • ‘… the “building is in very poor repair and beyond economic refurbishment’. Translated to mean there is not enough to be made out of refurbishing a small, low rise building.

    Reply
  • Can anyone explain, why so many of the units around there are empty!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.