The owners of the Founder’s Arms pub next to Blackfriars Bridge want to add a new bar and dining area to attract more customers, according to documents on Southwark’s planning website, writes Kit Heren…
Young’s & Co, which owns the pub, said in its planning application submitted this month that the extension will “vastly improve” the Founder’s Arms, “increase enjoyment of the river” and “enhance the vitality” of the local area.
Pubs have been shut for much of the past year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with some forced to close. Young’s said that “now more than ever, proposals that ensure pubs will remain popular, competitive and ultimately viable, should be welcomed.”
Young’s put in a preliminary application in 2018, which has now been revised because of concerns about the impact on local residents’ privacy – particularly people living in the nearby Falcon Point block.
The company said that the updated application takes these complaints into consideration. Local community group Better Bankside were invited to look over the application and were “generally supportive”, Young’s said.
A single objection has been raised on the planning website, complaining of the additional noise that could result from the extension.
Pubs are set to reopen outdoor areas from April 12, as the UK moves gradually out of coronavirus lockdown.
Oh not another supersize me to sell overpriced rubbish burgers to tourists. That pub makes money. Plenty of other restaurants around the area who’ll need punters.