Campaigners rally to save historic former pub in West Hendon

Plans to knock down the former Upper Welsh Harp pub on West Hendon Broadway – which has been the Raw Spice Indian restaurant since 2008 – were approved in September by Barnet Council’s Hendon area planning committee.

The development will see a five-storey tower block, comprising 43 flats, built in its place, along with space for shops. Work is expected to begin next year.

But a group of West Hendon residents is rallying to save the building, which dates back to the 19th century, and hopes to get it listed by English Heritage before it is too late.

Rose Alexander, a GP who lives nearby, said: “It’s the oldest building around for miles. It is very important to preserve it. The railway station was built so all the East Enders could come to these pubs, and sail on the reservoir. It’s a very famous pub.

“This was a thriving restaurant, it wasn’t a place where people didn’t go. It is madness.”

She said the nearby Welsh Harp reservoir was named after the pub, along with one known as the Lower Welsh Harp, which was demolished in the 1970s.

An artist's impression of how the development will look, facing down West Hendon Broadway

Dr Alexander criticised the decision to build more flats, which she said would ruin the look of the high street and add to parking problems in the area.

She said: “They want to build more flats – but we have got no parking. We have already got people parking their cars in our roads. It will spoil the look of the high street, which is all 18th century and 19th century buildings.

“It will look terrible and there is no benefit to the local community. We need pubs and restaurants for people to go to, we have already got 2,000 new people on the West Hendon Estate. Where are they going to go? “The point is, this building benefits the local community. This was a thriving restaurant, it wasn’t a place where people didn’t go. It is madness.”

Dr Alexander also criticised the council for what she said was a lack of communication about the proposals.

The West Hendon local residents’ committee, on which she sits, was completely unaware of it, she added.

She said: “People were completely flabbergasted when they found out. They were horrified. It is ridiculous the council allowed it. We didn’t know about the planning meeting. It wasn’t advertised properly. What is so terrible is we weren’t given the chance to complain.”

But the authority disputes this, and says it went “above and beyond” legal requirements to let neighbours know about the plans.

A council spokesman said: “As with any planning application, Barnet Council are committed to engaging with its residents.

“In this instance, our planning team went above and beyond legal requirements and sent letters to 300 households within a 100m radius of the property on West Hendon Broadway.

“Two local residents who received letters attended the committee to speak against the application.”

In a planning statement earlier this year, Preston Bennett Planning, on behalf of Pharmchem Investments Ltd, said the development would contribute to meeting Barnet’s housing needs, and reduce the need for development on greenbelt land.

They also argued the site is currently underused, and that the “difficult economic period” had resulted in a drop off in trade for the restaurant.