Pub company Antic - which runs the Royal Albert, Ravensbourne Arms, Catford Tavern and many other fine establishments across London - is planning to open a new pub in the former job centre on Deptford High Street. An application for an alcohol licence has been submitted and from the look of the company's new website it seems they intend to call a spade a spade by naming it in honour of its former use.
The fairly substantial shop unit is currently occupied by arts collective Utrophia, which has been running lunchtime music events and arts stuff along with a whole load of evening events during the last year or more, and the Extra Bones shop in the front. The temporary gallery licence that was granted in May 2011 was for a period of 18 months only, with the intention of using the vacant unit until redevelopment of the building began.
Although Utrophia has announced that it will be relocating at the end of February, so far there has been no application for a change of use of the building (which was changed last year from gallery space to retail space) which I believe will be necessary to allow Antic to open a pub here.
Personally I am hugely excited at the prospect of having a new pub on the High Street, especially in this high-profile location directly across from the station (and next to that classy retail establishment Poundland). Although as yet I haven't had formal confirmation of their plans from Antic*, I don't believe they would put such a thing on their website if they weren't ready to share this information publicly.
Deptford High Street desperately needs an injection of night-life beyond the fried chicken and betting shops, if it is to become something more than the ghost town it currently morphs into after 7pm. If/when the Job Centre opens, it may even give other investors the confidence to follow - with a couple of restaurants and perhaps another bar or two, the high street could become a safer and more attractive place after dark.
*Updated: they have now confirmed that this is the case and they are planning to open the Job Centre, although can't give a date as yet.
23 comments:
Wouldn't that be great!! I have a friend who works within the Antic chain...I'll ask him if he has any more info!!
How come they have two different websites? antic-ltd.com features the Albert but not this new one, and anticlondon.com the opposite!
@martin they are migrating the info over to the new site gradually. The one I linked to is the new one.
Ah, got you. So should we be worried about the missing Royal Albert?
Martin - they are switching websites: anticlondon.com is the new one, antic-ltd.com is the old one. I think the switch started today. Bit strange about the Albert not being featured - isn't that piece of land up for sale at the moment? http://transpont.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/royal-albert-for-sale.html
I had seen that - some slightly worrying details in the comments there too...
Sounds good...as long as they keep The Royal Albert...although it's a shame that they didn't buy the Deptford Arms.
I understand the bookies only have the lease of the old Arms...it could be a pub again one day.
I have faith that pubs will return to Deptford, having lost so many in recent years. People are waking up to the scourge of the supermarkets and people are really appreciating what a centre of the community these places really are.
Just wish MPs would abolish the former Labour Government's Beer Escalator Duty. Not exactly good for the average drinker! We must support CAMRA's campaign to get it scrapped.
Now - I hate to be pedantic, but isn't Poundland where the Job Centre Plus used to be? The Job Centre Plus was demolished ...
@Orange Utang correct, however I believe that before the Job Centre Plus existed, the Job Centre occupied the adjacent unit as well.
I have a friend who runs a pub in SE london. He says that Antic have a successful formula for setting up pubs that serves them well but they are little more than property developers who dabble in pubs.
@anon interesting assertion - do you have any evidence to back it up? Those pubs I am familiar with are tenanted, not owned by Antic (as the recent shenanigans at the Catford Tavern demonstrate for example)
Thats just what he said to me Dame - he has no agenda for saying it - he owns and runs his own pub so knows the business of 'pub running' and as pubs often occupy prime development situations so it would come as no surprise to see somebody taking advantage of the situation ('land banking' the property and running it as a business for a while and then when the market changes develop the site as something else)
Antic (or a subsidiary) have been trying to build a block of flats in Crofton Park, with a Tesco at ground level, for a few years as well - but Planning keeps on knocking them back.
If you run a successsful pub it can be a surprisingly good marketing tool with the 'locals' as well because you get them 'on-side', and using blogs and the like as part of your marketing strategy is also work cultivating.
work = worth
@anon I only ask because I am not aware of any pubs owned by them, but I only know the ones local to me. Likewise I have no agenda for either attacking or defending Antic, I am just interested in facts. If you want to share such information (either in the comments box or by email to me) I would be interested in following up on it.
Well, not sure if they actually *own* the pubs on their website but they do perhaps have an interest (by reason of the details of the applicant who shares an address with Antic) in the plot of land (it has become a plot of land because the buildings on it were demolished) that has been refused planning permission on Brockley Road in Crofton Park. Application DC/12/79879/FT
I'm actually not keen of the name. Sound strange - JOB CENTRE, but hey if it attract the right crowd and turn Deptford to a livelier place in the evening - It will be great.
Anonymous - would be nice if Deptford Arms turn into a Pub again!!!
but for now let's help Utrophia find a new home. (Near the high street) the creativity and activities is attracting London to our high street!
One of the things I love about Deptford is the fact that it IS so quiet at night. I dread the high street turning into some awful braying cultural battle ground like Clapham High Street. Vile!
yeah kind of hope they don't use that name - it's a bit "80s miner chic".
Kind of agree with anon above re: braying, but I guess those people eventually take over everything, why should Deptford be any different. Wish I'd bought my flat when I had the chance!!
Fuck antic. I think the people who've paid a £1m for the penthouse apartment and all the other occupiers of the new flats next door will have something to say against their planning app. for a roof terrace and late licence.
I think this is a great idea, the high street is crying out for something like this.
I've just moved into one of the new flats next door. Aside from the flats being virtually sound proof, I'm confident from my experience in working in pubs that they have extremely strict rules and regulations about their outdoor spaces esp in residential areas e.g no drinks outside after a certain time; closing terraces at 10pm (in fact, every pub I know with a similar space will close the terrace off at 10pm, not much for noise reasons but safety also); adhering to strict noise pollution rules (they will threaten to close outdoor spaces if people are loud and will do so if people don't listen to them) etc.
I also know a number of pubs in Dulwich, Brixton & Tooting run by the Antic (EDT, Dogstar, the Tram) and they always have bouncers/door staff to avoid trouble.
Anybody have any updates on if it's going ahead and if so when? Looking forward to this...
I do not understand how it is acceptable that a pub, which is clearly coming into existence as part of the gentrification of Lewisham borough, appears to be making a joke out of the current situation that many unemployed people find themselves in. It seems like gloating over the misfortunes of others. There is no need for them to give themselves that name. It is a statement of contempt for the community they are joining. They should rethink their branding sharpish.
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