Campaigners' efforts rewarded as Castle pub is spared (From Wandsworth Guardian)

Campaigners' efforts rewarded as Castle pub in Battersea is spared

5:40am Friday 21st September 2012 in News

The Castle pub in Battersea has been saved after Wandsworth Council's planning committee ruled against a proposed residential development.

The proposals would have seen the popular pub, in Battersea High Street, demolished and replaced with a much larger building.

The pub's two landlords, Cate Toomey and Aaron Tumata, have been battling against the development for most of this year.

But councillors at last night’s (Wednesday’s) committee meeting turned down plans submitted by the site’s owners, Languard, to replace The Castle with a mainly residential development that would have also included a new pub on the ground floor.

In rejecting the application, the committee said that replacing the current two storey public house with a new building of up to five storeys high would be "inappropriate" and "not in keeping with the existing street scene".

Committee chairman Councillor Nick Cuff said: "The proposed new building was just too big to properly fit in with other buildings in this conservation area.

"It would have towered over its neighbours and have too big an impact on the area. The committee was very clear that the design was not appropriate for this site."