A Royal British Legion clubhouse that held “loud late-night parties” is to be bulldozed for flats.
The hall in Lewisham will be replaced with six apartments in a three-storey building.
The ground floor of the new building will be home to a smaller community space, but playing music there will be banned.
The clubhouse set to be demolished hasn’t been used by the Royal British Legion for four years.
Despite the music ban, a neighbour who gave her name only as Marina, said she feared late-night parties could return.
Speaking at a planning meeting on Thursday, December 1, the resident of 22 years said: “You can surely understand as the next-door neighbour of this development my husband and I have incredibly high concerns about how this asset of community value is going to be used.
“What kind of discos are we talking about? Is it kids’ discos? Is it late-night discos?”
She added: “Things got extremely out of hand when the British Legion were granted an all-night licence.
"There were late-night parties.
"The doors were left wide open. The mic was constantly in use. It was very very loud.”
Cllr Jacq Paschoud, chair of the planning meeting, suggested scrapping the condition to ban music from being played in the new community hall.
But other councillors disagreed due to neighbours’ concerns about noise.
The ban was ultimately kept.
Speaking in support of the plans, Christopher Smith, the Royal British Legion’s agent for the application, said the current building was no longer fit for purpose.
He said: “Due to the decline in clubhouses in general this property has been vacant for approximately four years.
“Whilst it is secured and protected, it has suffered numerous thefts and break-ins. It is also suffering from subsidence and has structural defects.”
An all-Labour Party planning committee approved the plans on December 1.
Cllr Hau-Yu Tam, member for Evelyn Ward, abstained. Cllr Tauseef Anwar, member for Crofton Park ward where the clubhouse is located, excused himself at the beginning of the meeting.
Cllr Anwar said he couldn’t promise to have an open mind on the plans before him.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here