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a quick summary would be helpful
I've been trying - and struggling - to make proper sense of it all too to be honest. It could do with its own website to explain the background and include updates of the situation. For example, there was a 'hearing' with the 'planning inspectorate' on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, with a 'decision' due in the next few weeks.
All I really understand from it all is that this is a particularly organised objection to plans to make further changes to the building to create more flats, with the argument being that it is financially viable and in the best interests of the community to turn it back into a pub.
Scanning through the group, there are other pubs in Leyton that are getting frequently cited as success stories from similar circumstances, but I have no idea how they compare. Do you reckon its on a hiding to nothing? From talking to a pal who's in housing, he reckons the chances are miniscule. Looking through the posts, there is a message from the council that explains that the council has tried for years to get the landowner to reopen it as a pub and they're not interested. In the same post there's talk of seeing if the council will designate it a 'Asset of Community Value' and enable compulsory purchase - I have no idea if any of the hearing this week related to that.
J0nathan-
Ah, OK, thanks. Here's some more info--multiple offences on the part of the landlord, it seems:
They're basically trying to overcome the order to have a pub on the ground floor. Quite a few steps towards saving it have already been taken, and it's come down to this:
The pub is currently under threat from developers who have ignored a council enforcement on them to restore the ground floor to usage as a pub. Instead they have converted it in to a dwelling and plan to fight the council, implying that no one cares!
THERE IS NO TIME TO DELAY - the meeting discussing this matter is taking place on November 17th 2020 and although the process may take time to complete we must show them how much the Antelope means to the local community.
The Antelope was granted status as an "Asset of Community Value" in 2015 during which time at least one offer to take on the pub was made. It was also mentioned recently in council literature as part of the local regeneration and a place to be protected.
Oliver Schick
Thanks for flagging this up, Jonathan. I've tried going through the material, but a quick summary would be helpful--is there an application to turn the pub into an HMO, or has it been one for some years? Or is this a planning enforcement case (i.e., conversion without consent, etc.)?
I do think that community pubs are great, and I'm totally in favour of locals taking over things like this, but the immense expenditure of volunteer time needed unfortunately only leads to very rare successes. It's a bit of a fig leaf on the Government's appalling pubs policy (which was appalling even before 2010, by the way).