Camden New Journal - News: End to nights of Madness as pub loses its battle to beat bulldozers

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Camden New Journal - by CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS and RICHARD OSLEY
Published: 20 March 2008

Suggs from Madness

End to nights of Madness as pub loses its battle to beat bulldozers

Planning inspector gives go-ahead for demolition of band’s favourite watering hole

REGULARS at one of Camden Town’s most popular pubs – including members of pop band Madness – were crying into their beer yesterday (Wednesday) after a planning inspector’s shock ruling that the building can be demolished.
The Crown and Goose and neighbouring New Camden Snooker Club, in Delancey Street, have been at the centre of a hotly-contested planning row for more than three years.
But property agent DE and J Levy has finally won permission to bulldoze the buildings and replace them with flats and a ground-floor restaurant.
Residents and pub regulars have argued that the street should be left as it is. Designs for the site have been rejected by council planning chiefs and appeal inspectors on three previous occasions.
But in a written report released yesterday, planning inspector Charles Hoile said the pub had “no visual distinction”, ruling it could be demolished. He added that claims that the snooker club was popular was “anecdotal in its scantiness”.
The bar has become a favourite haunt of legendary pop band Madness. Frontman Suggs said last night: “It’s a terrible shame – soon there’ll be nowhere else to drink in Camden Town.
“We played at the Dublin Castle last year and the Crown and Goose was our backstage, our dressing room and our after-show party. It’s been the scene of many nights of Madness, fun-frolicked evenings.”
Madness guitarist and singer Chas Smash added: “It’s so boring to shut down all the places with a bit of character, just to make a few quid for developers. What’s really nice is my kids and Suggs’s children have both worked there.
“It’s a shame to lose that ‘Cheers’-like bonhomie in a local. The community are behind it staying a pub. What does that mean? It shows that in the end fighting loses when money talks.”
Singer Amy Winehouse has been known to pop into the pub for a drink. Comedians Julian Clary and Phil Jupitus and newsreader Jon Snow have sung its praises, while in the past weather presenter Sian Lloyd has been spotted sharing a drink with former lover Lembit Opik, the Liberal Democrat MP.
Meanwhile, green baize stars Stephen Hendry and John Virgo have been visitors to the neighbouring club.
Labour ward councillor Pat Callaghan said: “This is another nail in the coffin of the character that used to be Camden Town. This really was a landmark for us and we did everything we possibly could to save it.”
Roger Sharpley, from DE and J Levy, which acts for trustees of the land, the IH Barclay Discretionary Settlement, said: “We always respect the views of residents and those of council planners. We are not unsympathetic. There is always a lot of emotion with applications like this and if it’s your local then you might be upset.”
He said the trustees had owned the land for about 80 years and were not a “here there, gone tomorrow” company.
Mr Sharpley added: “We have addressed the concerns from the first application and the inspector has come down in favour of our designs. If you look at the sites in central London where there is a need for more housing, this is one that I think is ripe for development.
“Ten new flats will come from this. The buildings that are there do not have much architectural merit – they are not listed.”

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