Earl Aelfheah

Jeremy Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > What's the problem converting it into flats? > Apparently it wasn't viable as a pub... We might have to accept harsh financial realities, but that doesn't mean we need to celebrate them. So many pubs in London are being lost and personally I find it sad. Often it is not that a pub is no longer viable, it's just that flats are more profitable. It is fairly easy to turn a quick buck, chopping up a historic pub for flats. But it's difficult to reverse the trend when markets change. Government is here to act in a regulatory role, taking into account the character and history of an area, the public interest (both now and in the future) and consider the 'bigger picture'. A property developer isn't (and shouldn't) be expected to think about any of this, which is why the Council's role is so important. Having said all this, I don't know this specific case intimately, so I guess I might be off the mark. I still find it sad though....

Southwark Council (in their wisdom) have approved it's conversion into flats. Very depressing. Details of planning application / decision, here.

I wonder whether this comment is merely overt snobbery, or whehter it's mixed with some covert racism too? Either way Maurice, I agree that you should not be living in Camberwell. You might want to reconsider South London generally.