An under threat Tooting pub has been given a stay of execution after it was granted Local List status by Wandsworth Council last night.

Tooting MP Sadiq Khan urged councillors at a Strategic Planning and Transport Committee meeting to add the Wheatsheaf pub, in Tooting High Road, to the list, which will afford it further protection from the circling supermarkets vying to buy the lucrative land.

The Local List does not protect buildings in the same way that 'Listed' status does, but the award does carry significant weight when it comes to the planning process.

Mr Khan said: "Although this is not a cast-iron solution, it will help protect the pub should it face redevelopment.

"We now need one big final push from the campaign and local residents to make Wandsworth Council issue an Article 4 Direction for the pub and then the thousands of local residents and users of the Wheatsheaf can share a joint sigh of relief."

An Article 4 Direction would ensure any application to change the use of the property would have to be considered by elected councillors.

Campaigners joined forces with Mr Khan in July when the alliance save the pub from becoming a supermarket.

Their fight saw Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose and the Co-op all promise they would keep their hands off the Tooting pub.

Owners Enterprise Inns have also said they have no plans to sell the pub.

Last week Mr Khan invited campaigners to Parliament to celebrate saving the pub, but clearly the group have even more to celebrate.

Guests included Yasmin Duggan, who started the campaign, Mike Fenge, manager of The Wheatsheaf; campaign team Chris McQuiggin and Fleur Anderson and Tooting councillor Ben Johnson.

Mr Khan said: "The campaign wouldn’t be where it is now without such incredible local campaigners."

More than one thousand local residents and campaigners have added their name to the MP’s letter to the Council, and the application will be considered by councillors in the Town Hall in November.

 

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