Confusion reigns over White Swan future as homeless take over from cannabis growers – South London News

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

Homeless people have been given emergency accommodation in a derelict pub in the village of Charlton where a cannabis plant was found by police last year.

Croydon Council has placed people in rooms at the White Swan pub in Charlton, which has been empty since March 2020, although the authority said it was investigating and “reviewing its property acquisition processes”.

A spokesman for Greenwich council said the authority wants to ensure everyone living in Greenwich has a safe and secure home and is investigating to ensure the building’s use complies with planning and environmental health legislation.

The pub now appears to have a house number painted on the side of the building and bins outside the front, although it is unclear whether Croydon council knew they were putting people up in a derelict pub.

An individual who lives at the site confirmed this week that they had been placed there in an emergency by the council.

The pub closed just before the pandemic, with council documents stating the building dates back to the 19th century when it was rebuilt for use as a hotel.

Local resident Bridget Duffy, 55, said neighbors had noticed squatters occupying the pub for a period of time since it closed, which had “destroyed” the structure.

She said: “It’s a lovely family pub and it’s been set up really nicely. But I think they’ve raised the rent so high that people can’t afford to run a business.” She called the pub “a real asset to the village” but that it had been destroyed.

Ms Duffy said the dilapidated state of the building made her concerned about the behavior it could attract. She said the lower part of the building was used as a cannabis factory last year.

She said: “There was a weed farm set up in it that had been there for centuries. It was reported to the police, but nothing happened. I walked by it one morning and saw people actually taking huge plants and stuff and reported it. I think it was about five weeks before anything was done.”

She added: “Obviously it must have been there for a long time as it was well established. A few days later, I saw people going out and taking their equipment with them in broad daylight.”

A Met Police spokesman said officers were called to the pub last September and found a disused cannabis plant with electrical equipment, pot and soil left behind. They said no arrests have been made and no investigations are underway in the case.

A Croydon council spokesman said: “This matter is being investigated and we will work closely with our local authority partner and take action as necessary.

“We are reviewing our property acquisition processes to ensure we continue to provide our residents with good quality properties that comply with current standards and legal requirements.”

A petition asking Greenwich council to restore the White Swan into a working pub was presented to the authority this year after being signed by more than 1,200 residents.

The request followed an application last year by the pub’s owner, Mendoza Limited, to convert the property into a set of seven flats with space for a shop on the ground floor.

Planning documents from Jenkins Law, on behalf of the plaintiff, said it was “unrealistic” for the property to continue as a pub due to the “low level of interest” locally and said Tesco had submitted a proposal for the use of the land. surface in December 2022.

The conversion is to be decided by a planning inspector after the applicant made an appeal because the council was taking too long to make a decision on the scheme.

A spokesman for Greenwich council added: “We sympathize with the residents who have been affected by the closure of the White Swan, but as this is a live investigation it is not possible to comment further.”

Mendoza Limited and Jenkins Law have been contacted for comment.

Pictured above: The White Swan pub, which closed in March 2020 (Image: Joe Coughlan)

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