More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
A historic 128-year-old pub is back on the market after plans to turn it into a pizza joint were turned down.
The George and Dragon is a former Victorian coaching inn which has been on the corner of London Road and Swanscombe High Street since 1891.
According to the listing "The George and Dragon occupies a sizeable and prominent three-storey property on a busy T-junction between the High Street, London Road and Galley Hill Road.
"The property is not listed and does not fall within a conservation area.
"The property benefits from granted planning permission for the erection of a single-storey extension to the rear of the property to provide a further dining area and relocation of the current kitchen."
Despite its vintage heritage it has not welcomed any weary travellers for a light refreshment since its doors shut in August last year.
The previous landlord and landlady purchased the boozer back in 2011 and set about changing its image before deciding to retire.
Only six years ago it was named among the 150 best local real ale pubs in the country, winning the title of Gravesend and Darent Valley CAMRA pub of the year two years in a row.
Its success coincided with the opening there of the Caveman Brewery in 2013 by Nick Byram and James Hayward, who went on to set up the Iron Pier Brewery in Northfleet.
However, it appears even the brewer's intervention was not enough to save the pub from extinction.
An application was later made to Ebbsfleet Development Corporation to change the use of the premises to a food takeaway business with franchise chain Domino's Pizza poised to take over.
But this was refused in June this year after garden city planners said "the proposal would result in loss of a community facility for non-community purposes".
It deemed the site an inappropriate location for this and also raised issues over inadequate customer parking.
A report from planning officers read: "The proposal has not demonstrated that adequate provision for customer parking could be provided at the site in addition to staff parking.
"This would likely result in unacceptable adverse impacts upon the transport and access conditions within the surrounding area, unacceptable increases to on-street parking, and give rise to noise and disturbance impacting residential amenity in the immediate area."
It's not the first historic building in the area to be subject to redevelopments plans, with the All Saints' Church opposite having been converted into flats.
Speaking last year, historian Christoph Bull, who regularly runs a tour from outside the the George and Dragon, said he hoped the pub would be kept as a community asset.
He added that he didn't want to see it meet the fate of another of the town's pubs – The Alma public house in Swanscombe High Street – which was demolished last year to make way for a house of multiple occupation. Work is yet to start on site.
Another of the town's wet-led pubs, the Wheatsheaf in Swanscombe High Street, has also been boarded up but it is understood the freehold has been sold to a buyer in recent months.
The freehold for the George and Dragon has been listed by Sidney Phillips at £550,000 + VAT. For more details click here.
