Carlton Tavern, Kilburn

The Carlton Tavern is a former pub in Kilburn, London that was demolished under controversial circumstances and which the developer has since rebuilt, although the interior remains incomplete. Campaigners hope it will reopen as a pub once the rebuilding is finished. The pub was the only building in the street to survive the Blitz during World War II.

Carlton Tavern
The Carlton Tavern, before demolition
Carlton Tavern
Carlton Tavern
General information
Address33 Carlton Vale, NW6 5EU
Town or cityLondon
CountryEngland
Coordinates51°31′55″N 0°11′29″W
Completed1921
DemolishedApril 8, 2015
Design and construction
ArchitectFrank J. Potter

Building

The Carlton Tavern stood on Carlton Vale, just north of Paddington Recreation Ground, and just to the south of St. Augustine's church. It was built in 1920–21 for Charrington Brewery to a design by the architect Frank J. Potter.[1] It replaced an earlier pub on the same site that was destroyed by a German bomb from the major Gotha Raids air raid of 19/20 May 1918.[2] The building was noted for its unaltered 1920s interiors and faience tiled exterior. It was the only building in the street to survive the Blitz during World War II.[3] It was owned by Punch Taverns until at least June 2008, when Punch was unsuccessful in its application to have opening hours extended "until the early hours of the morning".[4]

A spokesman for Historic England said "The site was remarkably well-preserved externally and internally. It displayed the hierarchy of rooms in their fixtures, fittings and decorative treatment and retained all its external signage. Few pubs were built at this date and fewer survive unaltered".[5]

Demolition

The building was being considered by Historic England for Grade II listing when it was unexpectedly demolished on 8 April 2015 by its owner, Tel Aviv-based Israeli property developer CLTX Limited, to make way for a block of flats above a new pub.[3][6] The manager was told by the owners on Easter Monday to close the pub for an "inventory", but when she returned two days later she found the building had been demolished.[3] According to Haaretz, CLTX is "a relatively unknown company with only one listed director – Tel Aviv lawyer Ori Calif".[3]

Rebuilding

On 5 May 2015, Westminster City Council issued an "unprecedented" enforcement notice ordering CLTX to "recreate in facsimile the building as it stood immediately prior to its demolition". The notice will prevent CLTX from selling the site until the pub has been rebuilt.[7] The London Evening Standard reported that they would have to rebuild it "brick by brick".[7]

CLTX was ordered to rebuild the pub within 18 months from the date it was demolished, 8 April. Councillor Jan Prendergast called it "the lawless destruction of Westminster’s heritage". Councillor Robert Davis, deputy leader, said "Westminster is home to the West End – not the Wild West".[8]

CLTX appealed over both the refusal of planning permission for its proposed replacement flats (with ground floor bar) and the order to rebuild the pub "brick by brick". A public inquiry sat to consider both appeals in May 2016. It rejected both appeals, but extended the time allowed for rebuilding to 24 months.[9][10]

In October 2016, it was reported that CLTX had met with Westminster City Council to discuss rebuilding the pub.[11] In March 2017, surveys of the site were being carried out, and notices on the pub announced that the rebuilding process had commenced.[12]

In October 2017, CLTX submitted a further planning application to include three flats within the pub when rebuilt. This was declined, as it was considered to go against the decision of the planning inquiry. It was also noted that CLTX had restructured and no longer had any UK based directors.[13]

By April 2019, most of the pub's missing exterior had been rebuilt.[14] As of late February 2020, the pub had still not reopened, and Westminster City Council was once again considering taking action against its owners.[15]

See also

References
  1. Raffray, Nathalie (8 April 2015). "Shock as historic pub in Kilburn is demolished with no warning and without permission". Brent & Kilburn Times. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  2. "First World War Timeline, 1914–1918" (PDF). London: Brent Museum and Archive. 2006. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 October 2017.
  3. "Israeli developer in trouble for demolishing historic pub in London". Haaretz. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  4. "Carlton Tavern: licensing application withdrawn". Maida Vale Conservatives. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  5. Marrs, Colin (10 April 2015). "Developer demolishes historic London pub". Architects' Journal. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  6. "Bulldozers level historic pub after being denied planning permission". The Telegraph. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  7. "Pub must be rebuilt brick by brick, orders council, after developers tore it down to build flats". London Evening Standard. 29 April 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  8. Saul, Heather (6 May 2015). "Carlton Tavern developers ordered to rebuild historic London pub brick-by-brick". The Independent. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  9. "Carlton Tavern must be rebuilt says Planning Inspectorate | Westminster City Council". www.westminster.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  10. "Demolished Maida Vale Carlton Tavern must be rebuilt 'brick by brick', inquiry rules". BBC News. 9 July 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  11. Raffray, Nathalie (5 October 2016). "Victory for campaigners as talks in progress to rebuild the demolished Carlton Tavern in Kilburn". Brent & Kilburn Times. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  12. Raffray, Nathalie (23 March 2017). "Delight as work begins to rebuild a Kilburn pub 'brick by brick'". Brent & Kilburn Times. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  13. Foot, Tom (20 October 2017). "Carlton Tavern rebuild firm bid to include flats on site rejected". WestEndExtra. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  14. Raffray, Nathalie (23 April 2019). "Carlton Tavern: Four years after Kilburn pub was illegal demolished there are signs it will not re-open this month". Brent & Kilburn Times. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  15. Thatcher, Nikkie (26 February 2020). "Illegally destroyed pub still not rebuilt after 5 years". The Morning Advertiser. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
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