@PeterG No, not at all. The pub is definitely a viable business. And a community asset. Pop down and see for yourself. It's usually busy, has a well priced menu of very good food, an excellent beer/cider/perry offering, friendly bar staff and lovely regulars. The pub was taken on on a tenancy at will (wild speculation on my part here - because Antic wasn't sure that Catford was ready for a decent boozer? and the property owners weren't sure what way the changes to planning laws - carried out in March 2012 - would swing - wild speculation on my part here) and this might have resulted in a lack of automatic defence against the changes.
@Guiness - the official list of consultees (the people statutorily obliged to be consulted) is tiny because the pub is on a virtual island with the South Circular and a railway line forming two of its three boundaries. So not many real neighbours. We* are going to try and engage the real neighbours as separate groups - eg local residents, local small business owners, local community groups over the next week because a single petition of 4 votes or 4,000 votes counts as only one objection.
If you want to register your objection write to your local councillors via this link :
http://www.writetothem.com/ and let them know you are concerned. You can also lodge a general objection on the link on biccy's post above. Please be aware though that "I don't want a supermarket, I want a pub" isn't a valid objection and will not be counted as such. Things that do count are loss of community facility.
The pub, in the six months since it opened has:
become a meeting place for a new cycling group, an existing creative writing group, and a post match drinks venue for football teams from across the road;
held a weekly quiz night with a £50 winner's pot and an embarrassing charity shop booby prize.
become a venue, and an attractive one at that, for leaving (work) parties, christmas parties, wedding receptions and family celebrations.
And they want to hold regular cinema nights, maybe bar billiard competitions. They are always open to other suggestions. I'm waiting till this all blows over to suggest a concerted effort to use the Petanque Pitches in Ladywell Fields (South) for a local league.
They provided beer tent facilities at this year's Brockley Max and Corbett Residents Association festivals. They regularly donate gift vouchers for community/school raffles.
They were (still are hopefully) planning a monthly movie night.
They have actively engaged the local community (that's us) by seeking our views on what the next steps should be; working with the local community to make Catford a pleasant and safe place to socialise at night.
A new supermarket might be convenient but it will only ever sell you beans and milk at midnight And then fuck off when it no longer makes a profit leaving us with what we had when The Catford Tavern was The Copperfield.
If you'd like to know more please turn up and ask questions at the bar.
mgd x
*I have no absolutely no affiliation with CBT but I have a lot of love for what they are trying to do.
