Protecting pubs in Camden and London
The story of the Dartmouth Arms in my ward of Highgate – an all too common one across London as property developers snap up places at the centre of our community to turn into flats and a quick profit. We’ve protected our pub by making it an Asset of Community Value, which has been held up on appeal, and should save the pub from future threats.
We also protested at the HQ of the owners – Faucet Inn with a big crowd, and last week held a party in the street to show them they need to get on with finding new landlords and finishing the work they promised would be done by summer when they shut the pub in January.
We’ve heard this morning from Faucet that they intend to start the work on Tuesday and finish by Christmas, so our efforts seem to have worked! Will be keeping a close eye on what happens and making sure they stick to the planning rules that say they must keep the downstairs as a working pub.
In Camden following suggestions by my wonderful predecessor as councillor, Maya de Souza, the new draft Local Plan has much stronger protections for pubs built in, and the same is needed all over London. As Mayor, I’d make sure of it!