The Bun House pub in Peckham - Is there any truth in development rumours?

Hi
I saw someone I know tweeting that they'd heard rumours of the Bunhouse in SE15 being developed into flats. I cant verify that anywhere. Does anyone using the forum have any news on that?
S
http://www.bunhouse.com/

Sounds delicious! If they can keep it bakery-based I'd be happy to park my sleeping bag up at night to stop evil property developers converting it away from sweet treats.

Probably best to ask the councillors in whichever thread is appropriate.

The Guys who run an artist-led initiative called the Bun house Bandits sent out an email saying they where going to have to stop putting on exhibitions there early next year as it has been sold to developers.

Thank you Sunday Painter, what a great pity.

Yes it is they did some great shows there too, alas ce la vie that is gentrification for you of which we all play some part in.

Tragically a lot of artist projects actually hasten there own demise through their practices making areas seem more exciting and culturally rich, ultimately artists are often priced out of the places they put so much into.

Darn you arty types for being too good at what you do

yeah tell me about it

I've checked the council's planning applications database and I can't find any application for redevelopment (in fact the only thing coming up is an application to confirm its use as a pub). Of course that's no guarentee that the owners don't have plans in the pipeline, but if they do they haven't got to the stage of submitting their application to the council.

I'm afraid we continue to see a lot of pubs being lost as many just aren't making enough money. So please do go on the Through the Peckham Glass tour, but please also spend some money in the pubs, cafes and shops playing host to the art works.

I've just seen that the council has now received an application for "alterations to the shopfront" of the Bun House. There's no detail up on the website as yet, but probably some time next week the documents will have been scanned and loaded up so we'll be able to see what's being proposed by the applicants.

http://planningonline.southwarksite...AME=Root.PgeResultDetail&TheSystemkey=9543344

Hi, I don't know if anyone else has written about this (you can't search Bun on the forum, apparently it's too short!)
But The Bun House in Peckham is closing, someone said they were knocking it down. It's a lovely old pub, proper old man's place, built in 1898, and adjoining the cottage type shops on Peckham High St. I wish it wasn't going, just wondering if anyone has any information, or if anyone has tried to save it?
cheers!

I've had a look at the application now. It isn't demolition but it does look to be a change of use, though they don't say what to.

The owners want to change the shop front and the covering letter highlights that due to national planning rules they don't need the council's permission to change from being a pub (A4 use class) to some other form of shop/high st type use (A1 - general retail, A2 - office/professional/financial services inc banks, estate agents, betting shops, money lenders, A3 - restaurants/cafes). However, they would need permission to go to A5 - takeaway, so it doesn't seem to be that.

So all still a bit of a mystery.

Aha, here is the thread about The Bun House. It's such a shame this place is closing.

Thanks for looking into that Fiona, at least the building won't disappear, but what a real character that place is and the people in it. Sometimes Peckham is changing a little too much for me to contend with!

The plans for The Bun House are up and they are not nice. Please, if you could, take a minute to review them.
The timber façade there now, is proposed for complete removal.

A local architect put it quite well: "The more of us that write in and object to this proposed local act of vandalism the better. We have until the 2nd of February to do this."

Application number 11/AP/4312
Planning officer Amy Lester
0207 525 5452

Plans here: http://planningonline.southwarksite...AME=Root.PgeResultDetail&TheSystemkey=9543344

FYI:

current


proposed:

Right. I'd like to ask readers to say if the Bun House sold a great range of craft ales and did a modest amount of delicious food would they use the pub on a regular basis?

I found out about this rather late in the day so sorry if it seems like I'm here as the horses have galloped down Developer Allwey.

The reason the Bun House is closing forever as a pub is simple - private equity asset strippers are making a fortune out of it. The pub has been chronically under-invested-in for decades because it was tied to a series of rapacious pubco's who charged too much rent and too much for a limited range of beers. And so, essentially, the pub became a relic of the past, like thousands of others in Britain have done because of their freeholders' irresponsible tenure arrangements, and this inability for The Bun House to keep up with the times in any way shape or form has contributed to its being nowhere as busy as it would have been had Mick, the publican who owned the lease, been able to determine his own destiny and the comfort and wellbeing of his regulars.

The new private equity asset stripping freeholders bought the freehold from the previous bunch of asset strippers - Admiral Taverns - and then bought out the Tied Lessee directly from his 12 years' tenure left on the lease so they can develop the upstairs into four flats and the ground floor into a shop - non specified as Fiona Colley indicates above - and to make several hundreds of thousands of pounds denuding the local community of their last meeting place.

This is one part of a National Scandal being written across the towns and landscapes of Britain. We are being stripped of our heritage and tradition and community assets by rich, remote and ruthless twats.

If you think the Bun House should remain a pub - then say so here. Don't be apathetic - state your reasons and say what you think it should be.

A PUB

A SHOP

Hi J Mark, as I've kinda stated above, I absolutely believe it should remain a pub, and also one that isn't hugely different from its current state, I'm especially concerned about the proposed changes to the facade.
The Bun House has been frequented by a really varied crowd, the art exhibit I visited in there the other day was beautiful, and it really is a part of Peckham as I know it. I agree with you about the stripping of heritage and tradition that this closure exemplifies.
I think that we have to lodge our concerns with the council in terms of the planning, but in terms of reversing what's been done to the publican I don't know...? Do you mean it should be taken over by another company?

Also, I'm in touch with some folks from the Peckham Society who want to oppose the planning, as there has been a pub on the site for ever, the facade is Victorian and it was originally known as the Peckham Refreshment Rooms.

A chap is putting together a note with some relevant policy, so as soon as I know about that i'll provide details. hopefully it'll be something we can use to form our own letters to send in as individuals before the 2nd Feb planning deadline.

Hi Emma Jane - good call for posting the plans. It would HAVE to be operated by a different company. Mick is off and whatever comes out the pub needs to be brought up to contemporary standards of amenity to make it attractive to enough people for it to be viable. I'm not saying essential character has to change though - it's a case of doing it right for the building and for the area - so it has relevance to a wide range of people - NOT it becoming a Wetherspoon's or a Starbucks.

I have provenance in this subject area - I was evicted from The Sun and Doves in Camberwell last September and am one of the founders of the Fair Pint Campaign which, since 2008, has been lobbying government to outlaw the beer tie; abuse of which has led to so many thousands of pub closures.

There is a lot against preventing this situation changing - private property owners tend to get their way through all sorts of planning hoops - just look at our cityscapes for the proof. And I think, although no expert, there are no planning restrictions for change of use from pub to some types of shop or restaurant - I know IPPR and CAMRA have been working hard on trying to make it more difficult to change use of pubs.

But if the physical changes are rejected - and there are many grounds for objection - then there may be a defacto case that the property should remain as a pub. The only way it could succeed as such would be for it to have services upgrade and a comprehensive sympathetic restoration of the interior fixtures and fittings, the introduction of good beers - all free of tie of course - and other things that would come out of good quality market research of the customer base. I'd suggest working with South London Gallery, Camberwell College, Peckham Space, Peckham Society and as many others as can be brought to bear, would be particularly interesting to work on attracting as diverse a mix of people as possible in this location - it could be a revolution given the chance. If enough effort it put into providing a solid proposition that it should remain a pub - maybe a return to 'Peckham Refreshment Rooms' would be appropriate, given the circumstances - then there might be a chance that the new freeholder would consider working with the proposal and contributing to its continued existence - the last thing developers want is a whole load of hassle with noisy locals.

BUT most likely (100% likely) the developers will want their way all the way and will do whatever they can to get it.

I've sent a note to an expert on pub planning and conservation.

Did you know that Southwark has suffered more pub closures than any other borough in the UK over the last ten years?

YAY! Southwark's TOP of the league for something!