London pub shutting for £350,000 revamp and name change wants drinking licence extended to car park
Star Pubs, the pub arm of Heineken UK, has applied to change the name of the drinking hole from The Fox and Hounds to The Surbiton Fox. It also wants to extend the area where drinking is allowed, asking to be allowed to hold events in its car park.
Earlier this year, Dutch-owned drinks giant Heineken revealed plans to invest more than £44 million into improvements for hundreds of its UK pubs.
At a Kingston Council licensing hearing on Tuesday, incoming operators Paul Reynolds and William Walters said they were committed to putting the venue at the heart of the neighbourhood.
Mr Reynolds said: “We want to embed ourselves in the community and get to know everyone because it will be the longstanding success of the pub.
“It’s reliant on us knowing our neighbours and having good relationships with them.”
The hearing was told the pub in Portsmouth Road wants permission to sell alcohol until 10pm in its car park and outbuildings, on top of its established outdoor areas, for occasional events and community activities.
The application received six objections from residents, who raised concerns about being disturbed by noise from customers.
Resident John Gibbard said he supported the refurbishment and continued operation of the pub, but wanted conditions on the licence requiring customers to leave the proposed additional areas for drinking by 10pm and a limit on the frequency of events held there.
Mr Gibbard said: “Those safeguards would not interfere with the £350,000 refurbishment, the garden areas or the normal operation of the pub.
“They simply ensure that a variation sought for a limited purpose cannot gradually become something materially broader without further scrutiny from this committee.”
Solicitor George Domleo, representing Star Pubs, said the venue had revised its original application to address residents’ concerns.
The newly revamped venue would create 18 jobs and bring the premises back into use as a “high-quality community pub”, he added.
Mr Domleo said the extra areas where drinking alcohol would be allowed, if the application was approved, would not become permanent drinking spaces and the pub would be run responsibly.
He added: “This is a limited, responsible and evidence-led proposal. It is supported by experienced operators, there is a substantial investment, practical management controls and a firm 10pm terminal hour for external alcohol sales.”
Mr Reynolds said he and Mr Walters were “responsible operators” who would “respect our neighbours” when they take over its running in the autumn.
The pub currently has permission to sell alcohol indoors from 12pm to 11pm on Sundays to Wednesdays, and from 12pm to midnight on Thursdays to Saturdays.
The committee is expected to publish its decision on Star Pubs’ submitted plans in the coming days.