More than 3,000 sign petition to ‘save' south London pub

More than 3,000 have signed a petition in protest against the development of flats above the White Hart pub in London.

Freehold landlord of the 19th-century property, the Wellington Pub Group, is seeking to redevelop the space above the New Cross pub, which is currently operating as an 11-bedroom guesthouse, into flats.

Managers of the craft beer pub and music venue, brothers Patrick and Joseph Ryan, have said the move would make their business "untenable" as the pub would be forced to close at midnight and amplified music would be prohibited.

The pub currently hosts four nights of live music every week. They say these events bring in half of the pub's income. The Ryans are now encouraging people to object to the planning application filed with Lewisham Council.

"We started this project two and a half years ago in an effort to revive the White Hart as an exciting and valuable destination for the New Cross community, young and old," the brothers say on the petition page.

"To have our pub threatened after so much hard work is painful, to say the least."

The application is set to be heard by the council's planning committee on 1 August and planning officers have said they intend to recommend the scheme for refusal.

The Wellington Pub Company has been contacted for comment.

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