A fresh bid to demolish the former Old Friends pub in Woolwich Road has been submitted to Greenwich Council.
The owners, the William Hatcliffe Estate charity, want to replace the disused public house with a three storey building – rising to four at the rear – offering commercial units at ground level and nine apartments above.
Developers say that the scheme would “re-activate [the] street frontage”, “re-provide accommodation” and replace a derelict building with a “high quality design.”
The development has been designed to be car-free and all nine homes, seven two-bed flats and two one-bed flats, are intended for the private market.
The Hatcliffe estate won planning permission last year to redevelop nearby 17-23 Woolwich Road.
A previous application to demolish the pub, which closed in 2007, was refused last year.
This is possibly my only comment on the Old Friends – about which I am sure a great deal could be said, but no one could call it posh. Last year I was talking to a lady from Dyson House – the big block of flats at the rear. She said she was glad it had closed, because on hot days she could smell the toilets from her flat!