Jonathon Marchant-Heatley: ‘This is ripping the character out of London’

A TRADITIONAL family-run pub could be serving its last Christmas dinners after developers applied to turn most of the building into flats.

Bryan “Oz” Heatley and his son Jonathon Marchant-Heatley have run the White Bear, in Farringdon, for 17 years but face being turfed out in the new year.

As Mr Heatley, 67, lives above the pub, he could be left with nowhere to live if the plans, submitted to Islington Council earlier this month, go ahead.

Father and son were both born at Barts Hospital, just down the road from the St John Street pub, and grew up in Islington.

“This is ripping the character out of London, making it all flats or faceless chains,” said Mr Marchant-Heatley, 33. “We’ve put our blood, sweat and tears into this place.”

Lipton Plant Architects has made an application, on behalf of Consulco Capital Real Estate, to “reconfigure” the 19th century pub and create four flats above it. One would replace the kitchen of the White Bear and one of the pub entrances would be taken away. The family’s lease would not be renewed.

The number of traditional pubs in the area is dwindling. Nearby Sekforde Arms and Coach and Horses shut last year.

Mr Heatley added: “I know things change but they are devastating the pubs. We little people can’t afford to fight it.

“We believe that, as a community of residents and businesses, we need to pull together and fight for our local pub and stop allowing the big cats to force residents out of areas that have been their homes their whole lives.

“This is important, not just for The White Bear, but for all of us.”

The family are calling on people to submit objections before the deadline closes on January 5. An online petition has already attracted more than 650 signatures. The grade II-listed pub is open Mondays to Friday, and is available for hire at the weekends.