Montague Arms pub demolition plan in New Cross withdrawn

A proposal to demolish a pub in New Cross has been withdrawn.

The Montague Arms was a popular music pub until a botched refurbishment and closure. A developer had sought to completely demolish the handsome building.

This site was the the first to reveal plans back in January. The planning application stated:

“The former pub has not been designated an Asset of Community Value by Lewisham Council, although the Council has recognized that the building is likely to be of value to local people due to its use as a public house.”

Given Lewisham councillors immediately objected let’s see if that now changes.

Little merit?

The building survived while many nearby were demolished. This was actually given as a reason to demolish, with the planning application for the Montague Arms also overlooked its architectural value:

“Although the pub has some communal value, any building with a history is likely to be considered to have some degree of communal value. In this instance, the communal value is derived largely from the events and music nights that were experienced there. Whilst the building is representative of these valued experiences, it is the nights themselves that were of greater value than the appreciation of the architecture of the building.”

A close eye will be kept by me on any future plans which will be highlighted on this site.