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Date of photo: 2014	© Copyright Chris Whippet and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
The White Swan was situated at 22 The Village.
Source: Denis Stonham
There are concerns for the future of the White Swan in Charlton (SE7 8UD), a handsome late Victorian pub which closed in March 2020. The pub is owned by Mendoza Limited, a property developer based in the Isle of Man. Mendoza reportedly bought the freehold from the then Punch Taverns in 2015 for £900,000. In late July it was reported that part of the ground floor ceiling had collapsed. On 17 August, Mendoza applied to Greenwich Council as follows: ‘Change of Use of first-floor from Public House (Sui Generis) to 2x2 bedroom residential units (Use Class C3) and associated works’. In 2020 agents had already been advertising for a new tenant for the ground floor and basement alone, at a rent believed to be £40,000 per annum rent. Curiously, in November 2020, Greenwich Council gave permission for a three bedroom house to be built on part of the pub’s beer garden but no work has yet started.
London Drinker magazine, October/November 2022
The White Swan, an impressive building in Charlton Village, originally built as a hotel in 1889, closed in 2020. It has been the subject of a number of attempts at redevelopment by its owners, an Isle of Man based company called Mendoza. In March, Greenwich Council rejected an application to convert the upper floors into flats on the grounds that the works planned would affect the operation of the pub. Mendoza have now returned with revised plans which include converting and extending the upper floors into a larger number of flats and converting the ground floor into shop premises. There are rumours that Tesco have already inspected the site. For the previous application, Mendoza’s agents had claimed that they had been unable find operators for the pub. This evidence came in for some criticism and was part of the reason for the application being refused. This time, Mendoza’s agents are saying, “We firmly believe that the transformation of the existing building into a mixed-use space, encompassing both residential and retail functions, will bring about positive changes to the area’s assets. This conversion will not only introduce new employment opportunities and living spaces for potential renters or buyers but also enhance the overall wellbeing of the current residents in the vicinity.” I suspect that a lot of residents would rather enhance their wellbeing in a decent pub.
London Drinker magazine, October/November 2023
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