Picture: savethechesham
Campaigners are celebrating victory in their two-year battle to save a historic Hackney pub, after development plans were quashed by the planning inspector.
Developer Mukund Patel has been prevented from converting the Chesham Arms, which has served local patrons since 1866, into flats and must abide by a council enforcement notice. The pub, located on Mehetabel Road, has been let as an office with a flat upstairs since it was bought in 2012, but will revert to the A4 pub planning class from March 2016.
Campaigner Martyn Williams, 44, who has lived in the area for 17 years, expressed his relief at the decision. “It was a huge step – if we’d lost then that was the end of the campaign.” He praised the local community’s support, after more than 300 residents submitted evidence to the inquiry. “A lot of people just like having a pub on the street because it’s a welcoming presence. Many people used to drink in there every night,” he said.
Mr Patel has been accused of trying to “dodge and weave” around the planning process in order to turn a profit on the £650,000 purchase. “All we wanted was to force him to go through the proper process,” Mr Williams added.
The Save the Chesham Campaign will now begin negotiations with Mr Patel. Campaigners have been organising prospective buyers and negotiating potential lease deals. However, Tony Allen, who represents Mr Patel, has stated that no formal offers have been made and said: “The door is always open if somebody wants to discuss a purchase or lease.”
