# 189 Greenwich High Road, London SE10 (bar to cafe, Appeal B)

- **Decision:** allowed, 1 October 2026
- **Decided by:** Planning Inspector: B Astley-Serougi
- **Authority:** Greenwich (London)
- **Appeal reference:** 6012348
- **Application reference:** 26/0699/F
- **Procedure:** written-representations
- **Development:** Change of use of the ground and lower ground floors from a bar (sui generis) to a cafe (Class E(b))
- **Site context:** inside-settlement, conservation-area, listed-building-setting, near-station
- **Green Belt:** no
- **Framework applied:** August 2026 NPPF
- **Determinative policies:** HC6(1)(c)
- **Development plan policies:** London Plan 2021 HC6 (London Plan night-time economy), HC7 (London Plan public houses), Royal Greenwich Local Plan Core Strategy 2014 EA(b)
- **Main issues:** availability of community facilities
- **Tags:** community-facility, pub-loss, town-centre, heritage-no-harm, conservation-area, world-heritage-site, linked-appeals, parties-consulted-on-2026-framework

## Summary
Appeal B of a joint letter: change of use of a closed bar next to Greenwich Station to a cafe, allowed alongside Appeal A for a convenience store (PINS-6012344, which has the fuller analysis). The reasoning is common to both: the last use was not a public house, and Framework policy HC6(1)(c) was met by other drinking establishments in the town centre.

## Issues and findings
- **Transition.** "I have taken account of the revised Framework, and any comments made, in my determination of both appeal ‘A’ and appeal ‘B’" (DL ¶3).
- **Night-time economy.** "the proposed use of No 189 as a café would help diversify the range of night-time activities" (DL ¶23).
- **Framework HC6(1)(c): PASS.** "Accordingly, the appeal schemes would accord with Policy HC6(1)(C) of the Framework" (DL ¶25).
- **Conclusion on the main issue.** "the appeal schemes in both appeal ‘A’ and appeal ‘B’ would not result in the loss of a pub and nor would it unacceptably harm the night-time economy of Greenwich Town Centre" (DL ¶26).

## What made the difference
As for Appeal A: the classification of the last use as a bar with food rather than a public house, and the number of other drinking establishments nearby. For the cafe, the London Plan's support for extending the hours of daytime uses added to the case.

## Transferable points
- A cafe replacing a bar can be treated as diversifying night-time activity under the London Plan (DL ¶21, ¶23).
- A condition on extraction equipment can be limited to new or materially altered equipment where the existing use raised no amenity concern (DL ¶41).

## Policy findings
- **HC6(1)(c): pass.** sufficient alternative provision of drinking establishments in the town centre; same finding for both appeals; letter says "HC6(1)(C)" (DL 25)
- **HE6: neutral.** listed building settings, the West Greenwich CA and the World Heritage Site buffer zone unharmed (HE5, HE6 and HE8 cited) (DL 28-30)
- **DM6: pass.** extraction condition reworded to bite only if new or altered equipment is proposed; cycle parking condition not shown to be necessary (DL 33, 41-42)

## Key facts
- Cafe hours 06:30 to 20:00; London Plan HC6(B)(3) supports diversifying night-time activities, including extended hours for cafes (DL 21, 23; Appeal B condition 3)
- Last use found to be a drinking establishment with expanded food provision, not a public house (DL 16)
- Joint letter with Appeal A, 6012344 (bar to convenience store), also allowed; each appeal considered on its own merits (DL 1-2, 5)
- Parties had the opportunity to comment on the August 2026 Framework (DL 3)

## Sources
- https://appeal-planning-decision.service.gov.uk/comment-planning-appeal/appeals/6012348
- https://appeal-planning-decision.service.gov.uk/published-document/62534df2-3aad-4f75-970f-6e58d4154bc3

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Source: https://planningdistilled.org/research/england/nppf-navigator/decisions/PINS-6012348.html

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