Greenwich Council has said it would have rejected a developer’s plan to turn the White Swan pub in Charlton into a supermarket and flats.
Nearly 1,200 people signed a petition calling on the council to take enforcement action to restore the pub, which closed in 2020 and has been squatted and used as a cannabis farm.
The Isle of Man-based developer Mendoza wants to redevelop the pub and named Tesco as a possible occupier in a planning submission to Greenwich Council.
Mendoza has appealed to a planning inspector because Greenwich failed to make a decision within six months.
The council’s response to the petition said that Mendoza had been slow in offering responses to its questions about the application, including its claims that the pub was not viable.
“Had [we] been able to finalise our full assessment of the application, officers would have recommended refusal,” the council said, based on insufficient information about the marketing of the pub and its viability, the design of the development, the impact on neighbours and the quality of accommodation for those living in the new flats.
It added that it could not take enforcement action over damage caused by squatters and those who used it as a cannabis farm last summer because it related to the interior of the pub, rather than the exterior.
Speaking for the White Swan Music & Arts group, which wants to restore the pub, Suzanne Hunt told Wednesday night’s council meeting: “The White Swan was not just a pub to the people of Charlton, it was a central focus of community, a safe space for women and families to go and feel welcomed.
“Whatever you wanted from a community space it provided, yoga classes, pilates, knitting club, folk club, open mic nights, film festivals, theatre, comedy, young band nights, quizzes, good food and a great space for kids.
“We love Charlton and don’t want to become a left-behind neighbourhood. In a recent survey places to meet topped the list of things that lacked in communities, higher than jobs, transport, healthcare and housing.”
The petition also called for Charlton Village to be included in the masterplan that has been laid out for the Charlton riverside, where both the council and City Hall want to see thousands of homes built.
But Aidan Smith, the cabinet member for regeneration, said he did not think this would achieve the aims of the group to see the village thrive again.
“We think really the kind of development you’re seeking is really economic development rather than regeneration development,” he said.
“So we feel that the policy, the planning policy already covers Charlton Village to the degree that you would want. But the local plan is being reviewed, and this will provide opportunities for people to comment on what they want to see from planning and development, including Charlton Village.”
There will not be a public hearing on Mendoza’s plans for the Swan, instead the developer and council will submit statements, and then the inspector will visit the site and come to a decision.
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