4 July - A pub destined to return from the dead?
Do you remember Crayford’s Royal Charlotte Public House? It was run by Councillor Geraldene
Lucia-Hennis and
frequented by Councillor Sharon Massey?
It closed a year ago
much to the relief of all its neighbours.
A planning application (17/00208/FUL) was submitted in
January 2017 to convert it into five flats but I failed to notice that in April 2017 the application was refused.
It was refused on the grounds that the pub,
“a Community Asset” according to Bexley Council, would be lost. Since when has Bexley
Council been worried about losing pubs? They claimed it could “reasonably and
realistically be brought back into use”.
After the years of complaints about the problems created around
The Royal Charlotte, Bexley Council wants to see it continue!
Naturally enough the developer is attempting to comply with that strange ruling.
New application 17/01464/FUL
The Charlotte was not especially popular, if it was it might not have gone out
of business and any regulars it might have had will have long since found another watering hole.
Is Bexley Council incapable of making any sensible decisions?
As is only to be expected the plan has attracted some objections; no one wants to see a
return to late night noise and drunken behaviour.
On top of that there are parking issues and neighbours will be overlooked from the extension.