Wooster & Stock and the Woodman (former) Pub

[sisterofwookie]

Exciting things are happening in Kirkdale Village!

Painstaking renovations are taking place at the former Woodman pub 110 Kirkdale, once works have been completed the former Woodman pub will once again become an attractive show stopping building and a beacon to the Kirkdale Quarter. Once the works have finished it will be home to Wooster & Stock estate agents as a flagship office, there will also be a large gallery space for local artists to exhibit work, more antiques and opportunities to hire the space for private functions etc.

The current Wooster & Stock offices at 109-111 Kirkdale will become an exclusive antiques boutique where you will be able to buy or hire statement pieces of furniture.

[Weeble]

I know people weren't exactly overwhelmed by the prospect of the pub becoming an estate agent, but prospect of a gallery space etc sounds promising. It would be good to see hire not just for 'private functions' but for community use.

Again, I know people have been cynical about the whole Wooster & Stock -led "kirkdale village" thing, but if it takes an estate agent to be the catalyst for community activities like the Christmas pop-up, so be it, I'm not complaining.

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[leenewham]

Here here.

[Tim Lund]

And here here from me too.

[Annie]

That sounds good, but I thought looking at planning application that it had been refused?

[sisterofwookie]

Wooster & Stock are extremely community minded and have already allowed the Woodman to be used for many community events, such as pop up theatre, Halifax street big lunch, pop up Yoga, parents forum and Sydenham arts to name just a few and they will no doubt continue to do so.

Sadly the planning application has been refused! So it is likely to go to an appeal those in favor really need to support businesses who are willing to invest in the area help to improve it.

[Tim Lund]

The proposed alterations would have a significant and deleterious impact on the appearance of this historic building, which is an important historic asset on a prominent corner in the Halifax Street Conservation Area and would fail to preserve or enhance the Halifax Street Conservation Area as required by government, London Plan and Lewisham policies, contrary to Objective 10: Protect & Enhance Lewisham's Character, Policy 15: High Quality Design for Lewisham & Policy 16: Conservation Areas, Heritage Assets and the Historic Environment of the Local Development Framework - Core Strategy (June 2011) and saved policies URB 3 Urban Design, URB 16 New Development, Changes of Use and Alterations to Buildings in Conservation Areas of the Council's adopted Unitary Development Plan (2004), and Policy 7.4 Local Character, Policy 7.6 Architecture and Policy 7.8 Heritage Assets & Archaeology of The London Plan (July 2011).

Here's the link

[leenewham]

It would be better if they didn't change the windows which is the reason (I presume) that planning wasn't granted rather than the change of name in the sign.

I hope they manage to find a way to bring the Woodman back to use as a business and community space while maintaining the integrity of the exterior. The part restoration fo the times that has been carried out is a huge step n the right direction and looks great.

[knid]

It would be far more respectful of the intelligence of other forum users if employees/representatives of Wooster and Stock posted as "Wooster and Stock" rather than under a series of pseudonyms (jotbot, sister of wookie etc).

[Tim Lund]

Is knid also a pseudonym?

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[leenewham]

Kind of.

[Tim Lund]

Tee hee, Lee.

For what it's worth, I think knid is right here. If people are going to guess - rightly or wrongly - that you are a particular individual or representing a particular business, you do better to come out and say who you are or represent.

[bensonby]

] Kirkdale Village!

beacon to the Kirkdale Quarter.

statement pieces of furniture.

You realise you sound like a complete and utter prat?!

How can one get excited about another estate agents?

[Tim Lund]

There's an interesting study here in how Lewisham Planning officers understand conservation areas. In this case, in the Halifax Street CA, this change is unacceptable

changing to



while in the nearby Sydenham Park CA, it is ok to put this



in the garden of this



Same planning officer in both cases.

[sisterofwookie]

for what it is worth: I work here, grew up here and live here so I represent & support many things some of which include Kirkdale Village, Wooster & Stock, and the regeneration of Sydenham and the high street - isn’t that obvious.

I would rather not be personally attacked, as I already have been called a prat in this thread, so I would rather people not know my name or my inside leg measurement thanks - but being sister of wookie that does make me rather tall (thankfully not too hairy!) but I hope peoples intelligence is not insulted by that.

[Robin Orton]

I would rather not be personally attacked, as I already have been called a prat in this thread, so I would rather people not know my name ...

If people knew your real name, they would probably be far less inclined to be rude to you.

[leenewham]

] Kirkdale Village!

beacon to the Kirkdale Quarter.

statement pieces of furniture.

You realise you sound like a complete and utter prat?!
How can one get excited about another estate agents?

It's not another estate agents, it is an existing one that has moved. The old building will become an antiques boutique which is what a lot of Kirkdale used to have before the developers ripped out its heart with badly designed, undesirable buildings that are either ugly or empty. Ot's great that Wooster & Stock are at least moving in the right direction by forming a group to help regenerate the area which is what it so desperately needs. While I don't agree with branding Kirkdale a village (they would have been better off making it feel like one rather than sticking a logo on it to say it is) they are at least trying.

I hope they find a good compromise with the Woodman and continue to be a positive part of the community along with other businesses in Kirkdale concerned about the area in which they live or work. Resorting to personal insults on a forum is not fair and not right, even if, like me, you also dislike Estate agent jargon or think someone is target because they don't use their real name. This is a place for news, discussion and debate, it's not an infants school playground.

[michael]

The old building will become an antiques boutique

The old building has already had a planning application to demolish and replace with a new building focused on residential.
Although the old building might temporarily become an 'antiques boutique', that cannot be assumed to be the permanent use of this site (half of which I believe it still currently empty, but I haven't checked recently).

The real change to the Woodman is not the external appearance but from an historic pub, to an estate agent. But the council officer evidently decided that with other pubs around Kirkdale, and many attempts to make the Woodman a viable business, that this was not a suitable reason for rejection. I am sure that Wooster and Stock can amend their plans for the frontage to meet the expectations of Lewisham council and avoid a planning appeal (unless they are refused again). But in the rejection of this application the council have implicitly accepted that this site does not need to be a pub any longer, as long as the frontage does not change so radically!

[leenewham]

I thought the planning application on the existing W&S site had been refused Michael?

[michael]

I thought the planning application on the existing W&S site had been refused Michael?

You are quite correct, It was refused. But that is unlikely to stop the owners wanting to build residential on the site and maximise rental value for the ground floor shop. Once Wooster and Stock have moved (or before) I would expect a new application to be submitted for this site.