The Duke of Wellington joins a long list of East End pubs which are under threat. And that’s just in the East End. Its happening all over the country – pubs which are part of the social fabric of local communities, are being closed and redeveloped, not because they are not sustainable businesses but because someone somewhere can make more money out of them as residential accommodation. Please help the Duke by lodging an objection BY TOMORROW and stop the ongoing destruction of the social and cultural fabric of East London. You can do it below.
About The Duke
A historic pub near Petticoat Lane and Spitalfields Market. Dating back before 1850 and mentioned in the Jack the Ripper case files. Used by local residents and workers the pub boasts one of the few remaining beer gardens in the area and has a good number of patrons. Seen in many films and highly featured in Robbie Williams video ‘Candy’. The Duke of Wellington is a much loved and highly used eastend pub.
Save the Duke
A planning application has been made to convert the residential area of the pub and extend the building to the garden area, making the pub unviable. Once the pub is no longer an asset we believe it will be turned into a shop or further living space. Help us stop development and closure of the pub by the back door. Please act now by objecting the current planning application. All the links can be found below.
How to Help
Objections to the planning application have been extended to 28th Feb 2015 – So we need your help objecting:
Please read the list of planning grounds here and use as many of them as you like in your objection. It is also enormously helpful if you add a personal note about your relationship to the Duke. For example ‘I have been coming here after work for more than ten years’ or ‘I live nearby and the Duke has been my local for the last four years’ or ‘I am a member of the darts team and have been playing in the pub for eight years’and so on.
The loss of the pub patio garden would be highly damaging to the pub business, as well as the convenience of both pub users and the neighbouring community, since it was converted from car parking specifically to keep the smokers off the pavement as well as a pleasant outdoor space.
Lack of privacy/overlooking: There is insufficient separation between the windows of the new extension and the windows of Carter House next door- the council’s own limit is 18 metres and the distance in the plans is much less than this. People in both buildings will be able to see into each others flats.
The design of the new extension is completely out of keeping with the original pub building and the historic character of the conservation area, which goes against government and the Council’s heritage policy.
It seems both possible and likely that the developer is trying to close the pub part and may be looking to let the pub as a shop or other commercial use. This is against the Council’s pub protection policy.
Some of the flats are too small and break the Mayor’s rules on flat sizes. There is no outside space provided in the scheme and this is especially important for the 3 bed flats which will be occupied by families. Children living there will have nowhere outside to play.
The new extension will block light out of the windows of Carter House behind, and make their flats dark and gloomy to live in. This is also against council policy.
The government brought in special protection for pubs in 2012, recognising that they are important social and community facilities worth saving so that people who live and work nearby have a social space. You should use this to refuse consent.
The developer is supposed, under the planning rules, to consult us on his plans for the Duke, and he hasn’t. If he had, we could have worked together. He has treated us without any respect. He can’t expect us to just put up with whatever he wants to do.
If you have any questions, please direct them to our Planning Consultant, Dale Ingram via the campaign email savethedukee1@hotmail.com
CLICK HERE TO LOG YOUR OBJECTION
See the contacts page for other parties you can write to in order to help the objection
Hi All. Thoughs who are with us in trying to save our Pubs. This Planning Applic. needs commenting on by the 6th July 2015. Please register.