Chesham Arms campaigners delight after judge rules in favour of listed status

Children joined Save Chesham Arms campaigners at a family friendly protest outside the Town Hall. Photograph: Josh Loeb
Campaigners bidding to save an historic neighbourhood pub are celebrating after a judge ruled in their favour at a packed Town Hall hearing today.
The Chesham Arms was given protected status when Hackney Council listed it as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) earlier this year, but its owner Mukund Patel wants to convert the building into flats and challenged the awarding of ACV status at a tribunal hearing.
Mr Patel’s lawyer Tony Allen argued that the listing contravened his client’s property rights and claimed the building was not financially viable as a pub.
But James Watson of the Churchwell Residents’ Group said the pub in Mehetabel Road, Homerton, had “intangible intrinsic value”, adding: “It doesn’t have a monetary price tag – the real value is what it stands for in the community”.
He said he knew of 18 separate expressions of interest by private sector organisations wanting to restore the pub, adding: “We estimate that Mr Patel has lost at least £40,000 over the year as a result of keeping the pub closed.
“He must come to the realisation that the land is only worth its current valuation as a public house until and unless development potential exists. We maintain that no such potential exists.”
Fellow Churchwell Residents’ Group representative Martyn Williams said there was no evidence the pub had not been financially viable.
Judge Nicholas Warren dismissed the appeal by Mr Patel and said he would outline his reasoning in writing within three weeks.
ACV listing forms part of the Conservatives’ localism and ‘Big Society’ agenda championed by local government chief Eric Pickles and the Prime Minister.
Horray, looks like the local hipsters have ensured that this building, which couldn’t make enough to stay open, will now stay empty.
Obviously Hackney and London in general suffers from an acute lack of drinking establishments and even ones that have closed down must be preserved in case they open up again.
Words leave me speechless at these people’s selfishness and how they come to believe that they’re doing the right thing.
The pub did make enough to stay open – it was open and serving customers right up to the day the new owner took possession. The Tribunal Judge spent a lot of time picking apart the claims of the new owner that the previous business failed – and came down against him.
We know the new owner could – if he got planning permission – make a much bigger profit in the first year or two by turning it into flats and flogging them off. But if it reopened as a pub it would keep someone in a job for years. And there is no reason for the pub to stay empty – as the article points out, numerous people have expressed interest in buying it and reopening it.
Calling people hipsters is not really an argument. Though it probably would make many of the very varied community who turned out to support the pub – including families, pensioners, and former drinkers at the pub – smile.
@Near to Hackney
Perhaps moving to Hackney would give you an idea of the community spirit that is alive here rather than continually using stereotypes and missives.
This is a great success for local campaigners who come from a broad spectrum of the community and let’s not detract from that fact.