Carlton Tavern

The Carlton Tavern is a pub in Kilburn, London, originally completed in 1921, that was illegally demolished in 2015 by Tel Aviv-based developer CLTX, which had failed to obtain the necessary planning permission. Westminster City Council subsequently ordered the pub to be rebuilt. It reopened on 12 April 2021.^[1][2] The pub was the only building in the street to survive the Blitz during World War II.

Carlton Tavern
The rebuilt Carlton Tavern in 2023
Carlton Tavern Show map of City of Westminster Carlton Tavern Show map of Greater London
General information
Address	33 Carlton Vale, NW6 5EU
Town or city	London
Country	England
Coordinates	51°31′55″N 0°11′29″W / 51.53207°N 0.19149°W / 51.53207; -0.19149
Completed	1921 and 2019
Inaugurated	1921 12 April 2021 (reopening)
Demolished	8 April 2015
Owner	Ori Calif
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Frank J. Potter
Designations
Listed Building – Grade II*
Website
carltontavern.co.uk

The Carlton Tavern in 2007, before demolition

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.^[3] 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.^[4] 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.^[5] 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".^[6]

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".^[7]

Demolition

 

Site of the demolished pub in April 2015, with protest graffiti

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.^[5][8] The manager was told by the owner on Easter Monday to close the pub for an "inventory", but when she returned two days later she found the building had been demolished.^[5] According to Haaretz, CLTX is "a relatively unknown company with only one listed director – Tel Aviv lawyer Ori Calif".^[5]

Historic England had surveyed the pub, making records of the layout, tiles and other original details so that full architectural information was available. Listing as a Grade II building was going to be announced a few days after its unexpected destruction.^[1]

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 prevented CLTX from selling the site until the pub had been rebuilt.^[9] The London Evening Standard reported that CLTX would have to rebuild the pub "brick by brick".^[9]

CLTX was ordered to rebuild the pub within 18 months from the date it was demolished, 8 April 2015. Councillor Jan Prendergast called the demolition "the lawless destruction of Westminster's heritage". Councillor Robert Davis, deputy leader, said "Westminster is home to the West End – not the Wild West".^[10]

CLTX appealed against 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 held by the Planning Inspectorate sat to consider both appeals in May 2016. It rejected both appeals, but extended the time allowed for rebuilding to 24 months.^[11][12]

In October 2016, it was reported that CLTX had met with Westminster City Council to discuss rebuilding the pub.^[13] In March 2017, surveys of the site were being carried out, and notices on the site announced that the rebuilding process had commenced.^[14]

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.^{[15] [16]}

By April 2019, most of the pub's missing exterior had been rebuilt.^[17] In late February 2020, the pub had still not reopened, and Westminster City Council was once again considering taking action against its owners.^[18]

On 19 January 2021, CLTX changed its name by resolution to Carlton Vale Ltd.^[19] On 12 April 2021, the pub reopened with the lifting of COVID restrictions.^[20][2]

See also

• The Alchemist, Battersea
• Carlton Inn, illegally demolished in Melbourne, Australia
• Punch Bowl Inn in Hurst Green, Lancashire
• The Crooked House
• The Magdala (London pub with same landlord)

References

1. Tapper, James (21 March 2021). "Rising from the rubble: London pub rebuilt brick by brick after illegal bulldozing". The Observer. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
2. Raffray, Nathalie (12 April 2021). "Locals celebrate as the Carlton Tavern finally re-opens". Brent & Kilburn Times. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
3. Raffray, Nathalie (8 April 2015). . Brent & Kilburn Times. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
4. (PDF). London: Brent Museum and Archive. 2006. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 October 2017.
5. "Israeli developer in trouble for demolishing historic pub in London". Haaretz. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
6. "Carlton Tavern: licensing application withdrawn". Maida Vale Conservatives. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
7. Marrs, Colin (10 April 2015). "Developer demolishes historic London pub". Architects' Journal. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
8. "Bulldozers level historic pub after being denied planning permission". The Telegraph. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
9. "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.
10. Saul, Heather (6 May 2015). "Carlton Tavern developers ordered to rebuild historic London pub brick-by-brick". The Independent. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
11. . Westminster City Council. Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
12. "Demolished Maida Vale Carlton Tavern must be rebuilt 'brick by brick', inquiry rules". BBC News. 9 July 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
13. Raffray, Nathalie (5 October 2016). . Brent & Kilburn Times. Archived from the original on 7 October 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
14. Raffray, Nathalie (23 March 2017). . Brent & Kilburn Times. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
15. Foot, Tom (20 October 2017). "Carlton Tavern rebuild firm bid to include flats on site rejected". WestEndExtra. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
16. The Planning Inspectorate: Appeal decision https://www.ftbchambers.co.uk/sites/default/files/Carlton%20Tavern%20Appeal%20Decision.pdf
17. Raffray, Nathalie (23 April 2019). . Brent & Kilburn Times. Archived from the original on 29 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
18. Thatcher, Nikkie (26 February 2020). "Illegally destroyed pub still not rebuilt after 5 years". The Morning Advertiser. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
19. "Change of name by resolution". Companies House.
20. Specia, Megan (14 April 2021). "Their London Pub Was Reduced to Rubble. They Fought to Bring It Back". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 May 2021.

External links

• ITV News Report and video of the demolition.
• "Can demolished pubs come back from the dead? - BBC News". BBC News. 24 July 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
• "Can fire-hit Crooked House rise from the ashes? - BBC News". BBC News. 9 September 2023. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
• Current (April 2021) pub website.