A developer has submitted updated plans to demolish the closed Angelsea Arms pub in Woolwich, claiming the building had been at risk of arson and needs to be knocked down because of damage from squatters.

The pub closed at the start of last year and developer Jayraj Shah applied for permission to demolish the building and build a four-storey block with seven flats.

But the plans were rejected within weeks by Greenwich Council planners, who said that Shah had not provided enough information to show that the pub was no longer commercially viable.

The developer claims that squatters damaged the building in the summer. Image: Paradigm Architects from council planning documents

Now an almost identical proposal has been put forward by Darmesh Shah from Perpetual Property with some design alterations. The latest application claims that the 175-year-old building is a “dangerous structure” after squatters moved in during the summer and that there had been a report of masonry falling from the building. 

“The building [was] unsecured and derelict with a hazardous electrical installation being an arson risk and a danger to children,” a document filed to the council says.

Anglesea Arms details
The application shows photos of the poorly-maintained building Image: Paradigm Architects from council planning documents

“Following these events, the site is now unkempt, and the application is for the demolition of the building in order to restore the structure. The structure is severely damaged from the squatters and is not in a state to be restored but to be demolished.”

Despite the assertion that the building is in a dangerous state, Shah gives Perpetual Property’s address as the Anglesea Arms at 91 Woolwich New Road.

The application repeats claims that the 175-year-old pub is surrounded by “trendy bars” and that the new block would feature a “‘hip and vibrant’ commercial social space for the local residents”.

Plan of new building
The developer wants to build a four-storey block. Image: Paradigm Architects from council planning documents

The Anglesea Arms has been in Woolwich New Road since 1850 and is on the council’s heritage list, but had a troubled later history. In 2022 it temporarily lost its licence after a customer was stabbed on St George’s Day, with police declaring that its operation at the time was a “danger to the public”.

To view the application and send comments, visit the Greenwich Council planning website.

📩 Follow The Greenwich Wire on Bluesky, Facebook, LinkedIn or Threads. You can also sign up for WhatsApp alerts – or subscribe to our emails through the blue box above.