Royal Albert's fate sealed: planning permission to convert into flats is approved

I'm told by ASSA that Lambeth Council has granted permission for the latest planning application to change the basement and ground floor of the Royal Albert into three self-contained flats.

Apparently there are no habitable rooms in the basement, so the result will be two relatively modest flats with enormous windowless storage below.

My ASSA correspondent adds:

It will be interesting to see whether this arrangement is actually built, and if so, whether it lasts.

The planning authority does not have to give reasons for approval (as it does for refusal) so we can't tell what view they took of the messing about of the tenant who so nearly opened the restaurant.

There is a long list of conditions attached to the permission designed to protect the architectural character of the building, so that at least has been covered - though to judge from the earlier conversion works by this owner, they will need to be rigorously enforced.

I fear the real turning point of this saga came when the DOE Inspector gave permission for the loss of the pub garden. However, I suspect the story is not over yet.

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