stuart wrote:
Well yes, I would rate Nando's as a step down from your average Chicken Jerk except it would be me who was spit roasted by some family members.
I'll whisper this very quietly but a part of me would not be unhappy if it became a Nandos. For the simple reason that ... I'm a parent.
And branches of Nandos are very useful havens for beleaguered parents. Child-friendly, perfectly acceptable food that is (they claim) certified organic and Sagres and Bock.
stuart wrote:
Well yes, I would rate Nando's as a step down from your average Chicken Jerk except it would be me who was spit roasted by some family members.
I'll whisper this very quietly but a part of me would not be unhappy if it became a Nandos. For the simple reason that ... I'm a parent.
And branches of Nandos are very useful havens for beleaguered parents. Child-friendly, perfectly acceptable food that is (they claim) certified organic and Sagres and Bock.
I'd be happy with a Nando's too, though my bank manager would not be.... I have a feeling I would get in debt quick. I do love Nando's
Though, it is not intended as Chicken Jerk (which is far superior), it's peri peri, something altogether different though the market is becoming more saturated with Peri Peri.. they are missing a trick with Jerk Chicken really.. it is much better.
Just as an aside about Tesco. I think the fact that in my time in Sydenham it had been a carpet shop, then an ambitious, but doomed Indian and then a badly run pub meant that there was very little sense of affection for the place. The Greyhound, on the other hand, has been a pub for well over 200 years.
I agree with Stuart's sentiment, with the exception that I don't welcome businesses on the high street whose contribution to the community is outweighed by the costs they impose on society.
Clearly this is pretty subjective, but a starting point for me is whether the business' cash contributions (council rates plus corporation tax with some consideration given to local employee salaries/taxes) are greater than the costs they impose on local public services (NHS costs, police time, social services etc.)
This approach gives a relatively clear answer to the question of places like Zanzibar, whose owners make money by asking the rest of us to bear the costs of dealing with the consequences of their unruly patrons and also for betting shops where society is often left to pick up the indirect costs of losses incurred by gamblers. For me, this should be addressed by higher taxes being levied on these businesses (who would in turn pass higher admission and betting costs onto customers, respectively) so that the taxes the businesses pay cover the costs they impose on society.
However, in the absence of a government tax policy which ensures businesses bear the costs to society of their operations, it often falls on the council to make decisions about the types of businesses that are allowed to open (via planning decisions). If we were able to hold councillors to account then I would be comfortable with this approach, but in Lewisham council we have a 'one party state' on the council which means this approach doesn't work as well.
TLDR: from a political/ideological perspective I'm happy with any business in the Greyhound building provided they have a positive impact on the area. If it were down to me though, that would be a great pub or (at a push) a restaurant.
I imagine it might be easier for a potential lessee of The Greyhound if they knew what was happening re surrounding retail outlets (clientele) and especially the possibly Sainsbury supermarket sitting behind it. Food is hugely expensive in eateries as the overhead & mark-up over cost price (making it at home) is usually 60% and has VAT added. It's the ambience as well as the food or drink offering that will attract people, but as Stuart said, how many of us are big daily or even weekly spenders?
It would be good to support almost any business (A3/A4) that wants the lease. The thing I'm sure all Sydenhamites will agree on is that a vacant, or worse, boarded up again building is the last thing wanted in that prime location.
Thanks as always to biscuitman1978 for info, particularly that A3/A4 must be the building's use for a "reasonable period". I personally would be out banner-waving if or when a change to A2 (*) were to be applied for, so I will "see how it goes" for now and wish whoever it is success in making The Greyhound pay its way. (*) A2=Financial services: Banks, Building societies, Bureau de change
Professional services: Estate agents, Employment agencies
Other services: Betting shops, Pay day loan shops
_HB wrote:Well said Rachael. I supported the introduction of the Tesco and I'm glad I did. As I recall at the time, I counted opinion just on this forum as marginally in favour vs those opposed.
As it happens I didn't think it was a pub worth saving and I think Tescos was a better option. So did several of my friends who live locally! Not that we are necessarily any sort of representative group(
I'm very happy that the Greyhound is being rebuilt, what Purelake thought they could get away with is terrible.
Happy to support any kind of A3/A4 useage, within reason. Another pub could be great, competition with Dolphin, Lion, Pavillion, etc.
I fully supported the campaign to stop Tesco from entering the high st, but accept that that shop there is better than an empty boarded up shop, but there could have been so many much better alternatives, only we don't really have the power to say who open which shops where. I can truthfully say that I've never been into that branch of Tesco, and that since it oppened I've only been into any other Tesco a handful of times - which given that I used to shop there most lunchtimes, I feel ok about.
I've just been IN it!!! a rather lovely builder saw me staring at the work and asked if I wanted to look in - you don't say?!!!
It is larger than it looks and part of the walls are already covered in spectacular tiling which he said it cost £35.000 to buy and were new (reproductions). So - does that mean the old ones Lee showed us some time ago are still somewhere kept safe and waiting to install? It looks absolutely stunning...it would be absurd that such a beautiful space would end up being used by some kind of random, run of the mill, café/restaurant chain - it deserves so much better!
Then on departure the builder wished me a happy new year. Just to finish it off....
What a lovely thing to happen - i.e. what a kind chap to show you around inside. It sounds like it's a bit of a 'tardis' then in it's size.
Regards the tiles - I really hope they DO re-use the original tiles as they were very special, and I dare say part of the terms and conditions for the re-build? Did the new ones look authentic? (there are some repro tiles which look better than others let's say)....
2016 will be the year of the Greyhound I'm sure, in whatever form it takes!
Yes, I'm jealous too about seeing the inside. For all the dithering Purelake management has done, their builders seem pretty good judging from the outside and forecourt so credit where credit's due (even if at council's insistence, so credit to them too).
An improvement would be to paint (match to brick colour) the two rather dominant black rain downpipes either side of the greyhounds which look a bit small to me in perspective. Then again, I suppose they're meant to be welcoming rather than lions guarding the entrance.
It's all been rather quiet on the forum for the Greyhound topic so far in 2016...
Has anyone received any interesting bits of news on either completion date, or a potential occupier?
I passed by earlier in the week, and it's still looking a WHOLE lot better than even a few months ago, but it appears to have reached a point and plateaued off? (certainly on the external work)
FromCtoShiningC wrote:It's all been rather quiet on the forum for the Greyhound topic so far in 2016...
Has anyone received any interesting bits of news on either completion date, or a potential occupier?
I passed by earlier in the week, and it's still looking a WHOLE lot better than even a few months ago, but it appears to have reached a point and plateaued off? (certainly on the external work)
The outside is done (perhaps a bit of touching up to do and a strange covered up gap in the pavement to the rear), I think the inside is going to be left to whomever takes the venue on. There is little point doing much interior until the venue's purpose is ascertained.
Parker1970 wrote:The outside is done (perhaps a bit of touching up to do and a strange covered up gap in the pavement to the rear)...
The 'strange covered up gap' is for a set of steps to the basement.
Seems very narrow, I originally thought it was the drop into the cellar for beer deliveries, but it's not wide enough. Makes sense though for stairs I guess.
Parker1970 wrote:The outside is done (perhaps a bit of touching up to do and a strange covered up gap in the pavement to the rear)...
The 'strange covered up gap' is for a set of steps to the basement.
Seems very narrow, I originally thought it was the drop into the cellar for beer deliveries, but it's not wide enough. Makes sense though for stairs I guess.
For those who are interested, you can see details of the steps to the basement by going to http://planning.lewisham.gov.uk/online-applications, then searching for 'DC/15/092039' (without quotation marks), then clicking on 'Documents' and then clicking on the 'View document' hyperlink alongside 'Final set'.
Activity this morning in the rear unit. Couple of guys measuring up inside and another outside saying it's going to be Sainsbury's - opening in about 7 weeks!
Awaiting confirmation as to who will take the front unit.
Pat Trembath wrote:Activity this morning in the rear unit. Couple of guys measuring up inside and another outside saying it's going to be Sainsbury's - opening in about 7 weeks!
Awaiting confirmation as to who will take the front unit.
I saw them there this morning but was too shy to ask and didn't want to be nosey, thank goodness for you Pat
Thanks for sharing regards Sainsbury's. I think that has been a long term assumption/potential that they would occupy a space adjacent to the Greyhound (I'm a bit surprised they won't take the unit facing onto the street, as I thought that would be more visible).....
If there is any news on who will occupy the unit facing the street, please share. (For me, a decent restaurant would be ideal (there just aren't the options in SE26 currently) - so that the Greyhound can become a proper pub ).
