Havering (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The landlady of The Alderman pub in Harold Hill says she has been “left in limbo” after receiving no updates from Havering Council over the planned demolition.
In order to create room for 138 new houses, plans to demolish The Alderman were approved in February. However, according to landlady Sandy Wyatt, she has not received any word from the council regarding when the demolition is anticipated to take place.
The 64-year-old told the Recorder that she has just got a document to add her name to the housing waiting list for the new development from the council since the demolition was approved.
“I live here – so I’m losing my job and my home,”
Sandy said.
“But they [the council] are not bothered.
I found out [about the demolition] because I read it in the paper and I saw online that it was going through.”
Following the February meeting of the strategic planning committee, the council affirmed that the pub’s destruction will begin later this year.
However, Sandy stated that without a more precise timeline, it is challenging to make plans in advance.
The Alderman will continue to operate normally in the interim, catering to clients who would otherwise have “nowhere else to go”.
The landlady said:
“I’m just left in limbo like everybody else.
I’d rather know when it’s going so I can make plans myself.”
A temporary replacement location for The Alderman has been promised within Harold Hill’s current shopping center “if feasible to do so” in order to incorporate a new permanent pub into the center’s renovation.
Sandy informed the Recorder that she is not sure a substitute will be offered and that “nothing has been said” to her regarding operating a temporary or permanent pub in the shopping center.
Even though they expected it to happen, she said, the decision has angered the pub’s regulars.
“I think deep down we all know it was going to be approved,”
Sandy said.
“[But] the customers are quite shocked because they have nowhere else to go.”
The Harold Hill rehabilitation project’s second phase, which includes constructing 138 new residences between Chippenham Road, Kings Lynn Drive, and Dartfield, includes the demolition of The Alderman.
A request for feedback has been made to the Havering Council.
What are the main concerns of the residents about the demolition of the Alderman pub in Havering?
Locals view the pub as an essential social hub, calling it a “sanctuary” that is particularly important for elderly and lonely patrons who depend on it for company and social contact.
Constructed in 1959 and named for Alderman Albert John Dyer, the tavern is regarded as a significant component of Harold Hill’s history and has local historical significance.
Up to 100 regular customers visit the bar each week, and many consumers, especially senior citizens, use it as a place to congregate, converse, and lessen loneliness. Concerns about more social isolation are raised by its shutdown.
Six local employees are employed by the tavern, which also boosts the local economy. Locals are concerned about employment losses and the financial effects of losing a well-liked facility.