Cheers! Baring Hall Hotel pub campaigners help to ensure historic pub protected grade II listed

BY CALUM FRASER
calum@slpmedia.co.uk

Campaigners raised a glass after the backing of Stephen Fry helped them to boost their bid to save a South-east London pub after it was granted listed status.

Locals have been battling for almost a decade to save their boozer, the Baring Hall Hotel in Grove Park, Lewisham, from demolition.

They are now celebrating as it has been listed by Historic England as a Grade-II building of national importance.

This means the building may not be demolished, extended or altered without special permission.

Councillor Liam Curran, who helped set up The Baring Trust which aims to conserve the Grove Park area, said: “We are delighted to say the least.

“It is the culmination of a decade of campaigning by many, many people and we thank them for it.

“We applied for listing of this exceptional building to save it both as a public house and a fine piece of landmark architecture for present and future generations. It is significant in various ways.”

A fire gutted the lower floor of the building in 2009.

Stephen Fry gave his support to the campaign after a planning application was submitted to the council and the building was set to be knocked down in 2011.

Campaigners took the decision to the High Court to get a temporary injunction to halt demolition.

After this, Sir Steve Bullock, then mayor of Lewisham council, removed permitted rights for demolition.

Cllr Curran said: “The protection of the landmark historic pub and the stable block behind, built in 1882, will enable it to continue to play a key role in the regeneration of the area through the emerging Grove Park Neighbourhood Plan.”