Dog welcomes Conservation proposals

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London Borough of Newham has recently held a public consultation on designating the area immediately surrounding the Old Spotted Dog a “Conservation Area”. If agreed, these proposals will become part of the over-arching Borough Plan for development and regeneration for years to come.

We welcomed the proposals and advocated:

  • Inclusion of the Clapton FC buildings and ground in the conservation area
  • An “Opportunity Zone” south of the “centre” of Forest Gate, to include the vicinity of the Old Spotted Dog and the “Red House” to the south of Upton Lane
  • That the whole Spotted Dog site be ‘zoned’ as suitable for non-residential development

We also noted that the Borough currently lacks a “pub policy” that would inform planning policy on ‘change of use’ applications which have over recent years decimated the number of pubs in the Borough. In doing so we drew attention to a recent excellent submission by CAMRA in regard to a proposed “redevelopment” of the Central Hotel on Barking Road, East Ham.

The outcome of the consultation and subsequent deliberations should be known in the autumn.

Details can be found on the Newham Council website (Planning)…… or alternatively you could always take up knitting.