It is great there is interest in turning it into a business which will better serve the community and create jobs, there is from a couple of others interested too that I know of. I think the rent of 35K a year is a lot - hopefully the planning permission will not be granted and someone will be able to buy the unit. Fingers crossed!!

Yep, that means £35000 turnover in year one as a minimum, before any profit can be taken. A difficult challenge to accomplish, which probably explains why a chain is aquiring the premises. Otherwise called an extremly greedy landlord.

Following on from Tricky128's post, I guess the below message I received from the Lady at Antic will give everyone a heads up on what the Landlords of The Old Bank are like/after:

HUGE shame about The Palmerston people not getting it too

"Hi

Yes, we have had quite a few mails about it, but unfortunately it looks as though that [Domino's] is what you are going to get there. They were not interested in our proposal so apparently, we didn’t even get a look in!!

Please let us know if there are any other pubs in the area that could work for us and I promise to put the boss on his Motorbike and send him straight out to have a look!!

Thanks

Fi

"

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I wonder what the soon-to-be owners of the two shiny new sheds, err, I mean one bedroom cottage houses, and the new 2/3 bd houses in Ballina/Lessing St will make of all this, seeing that they're buying into an Honor Oak Park that is "home to 30 small, independently owned businesses offering a diverse range of shops, restaurants, gastro pubs and cafes". That at least, is what the Sienna Place website is promising them. Perhaps the text could be updated to "home to a greedy landlord and his bog standard chain business tenants who will soon be keeping you awake at night with their noisy scooters."

Re the reply from Antic.

Which company/brewery runs/owns The Chandos?

That place could do with an overhaul.

The Chandos as far as I know is owned outright but an Irish guy, correct me if I am wrong. I know that a lot of the pub chains are interested in buying whole buildings so they need to check it out....would be a great spot for a new pub...although I think The Old Bank is the ideal location!

Mmmmm Thai!
What a shame they didn't accept that offer. It would have been a fantastic addition to the area. Greedy landlords!

I am coming at this a bit late so apologies if I am covering old ground but I wonder whether we're all being a bit over aspirational? I should say that I absolutely love HOP, other than the recent crime wave that seems to be hitting us I really wouldn't live anywhere else in London. I am sure we'd all like an East Dulwich style grocer, butcher or similar but can HOP really support such a business?

In part due to the abundance of green space, HOP is not a particularly densely populated area (not when you compare it to the areas surrounding Lordship Lane) and there are already at least three very nice restaurants within a couple of hundred metres of the site so you'd have to be VERY confident pub / restaurant owner to go for the Old Bank site. If we accept that within reason, the landlord has the right to rent his property to whomever he wishes (and for whatever price) can't we accept that HOP could do a lot worse than a Dominos? I agree it could do a lot better but in the current climate I really doubt anyone is going to put the kind of money into the place that would be needed to turn it into a thriving local and independent business. Surely having it filled would be better than having it be another empty unit?

What is this crime wave?

Me and my friends might just be unlucky but I know 6 households well in the HOP area and half have been burgled in the last 4 or 5 months. A woman was attacked pretty much outside the station last week and some poor bloke seems to have had his bike nicked last night.

the owner of the Chandos might be perfectly happy (and probably is!) with his pub, and might not think he needs an overhaul! Whenever I go past it always looks fairly busy.

Agree that it is a shame Dominoes seem to be the ones taking over the Old Bank site but in my opinion it could be worse - especially if they listen to the objections about the illuminated signage and do something a bit nicer with the shop front.

What could be worse?? Be interested to hear. This is will be a massive oven churning out pizzas for a large part of SE London, there are a lot of pollution issues associated to this. Bikes wizzing around and youth hanging around, litter. This will be operating from a small parade and in a shop with historical interest. I think pretty much everyone who lives in Honor Oak Park would prefer something else there, this is why there is a campaign. Local planners should take the views of people who live in the area into account when granting permission so we can help shape our surroundings. We are the ones that live here, they don't tend to, maybe it would be different if they did. The campaign has snowballed, an estimated 350 objection letters into planning and over 500 on a petition, support from local councillors and also Joan Ruddock MP. There will also be articles in the press this week too!

For more information on campaign and how you can oppose this simply email saynotodominospizza@gmail.com

I can think of a lot things that would be worse. I think the point is, are any of the 500 objectors coming up with alternatives and (most importantly) are they prepared to put their money where their mouth is? I would love to see a gastro-pub there, I would use it for sure and I'm sure many others would as well but enough people to cover the rent and turn a decent profit? Probably not and that is presumably the view of other people who have been looking at that site for some time.

Has anyone actually received any replies from that email address, saynotodominospizza? Only I've sent requests for information twice now to no effect. I copied and pasted the email address and the emails I sent haven't bounced back ... I hope it's because it isn't automated and the person responding is innundated!

Send the email again!!! That is very strange!!

Once planning permission is (hopefully) turned down the greedy landlords will be looking at other offers from other parties. Another thing is that if Dominos get in on this rent it sets a standard for the whole parade....queue some of the businesses being forced to leave as rents will be hiked up even more!!

Out of interest, does anyone know how much the freehold is worth?

I would be willing to put my money where my mouth is. The rent is 30k a year, however and I have no experience in the restaurant trade. I have no idea regarding sale price. Refitting for a pub would be expensive but to revamp the site as a lovely restaurant, not so much. I can help here too. If there are some like minded people with catering experience who are keen and just needing silent investors I am in for a chunk of the rent or sale price in return for an appropriate share of the profits. Football teams are bought by syndicates of fans. why not restaurants by syndicates of residents?

RuthB

I visited The Chandos once.

A young barman, who may have been the manager had a good laugh with someone who seemed to be a regular, after said regular broke wind with what was possibly the smelliest fart ever dealt filling the whole bar.

I left rather swiftly.

it appears I can't say ****...

I agree BCM, this is a good idea lets hope Dominos do not get permission and then there are possibilities!