An Israeli development firm that demolished a historic London-area pub without authorization was ordered this week to rebuild the building in its entirety.
The company, Tel Aviv-based CLTX Ltd, razed the landmark early last month during the Easter holiday in order to expedite the construction of a series of apartments in the London borough of Westminster, according to a report this week by the Daily Mail.
The developers, however, did so just as the municipality was due to make the Carlton Tavern Maida Vale a historic structure, protecting it from demolition.
Following the destruction of the landmark, the borough’s city council sent CLTX Ltd a letter demanding that the 94-year-old building be rebuilt “as it stood immediately prior to its demolition,” as the council refused planning consent to build housing in place of the pub three months earlier.
Residents of the west London borough were furious, as the iconic tavern was built in 1921 and was one of the few buildings in the area that was undamaged during the Nazi blitz of London during World War II.
Robert Davis, the council’s deputy leader, said he had been “absolutely horrified” after learning of the building’s demolition, calling the matter “scandalous.”
British television actor Danny John-Jules took to Twitter to lament the flattening of the Carlton Tavern: “The pub looked like it would serve for another 100 years. That pub was so old-school, you would find most of the older community in there.”
“It’s another nail in the coffin of what we would call in the olden days as socializing. It’s great to be on Twitter but it’s just not the same as real socializing,” he added.
Other admirers of the establishment used social media to slam the actions of the developers, with a number of Twitter users referencing Israeli ownership of firm.
Many are accusing the developers of deceit, as landlady Patsy Lord was told by the building’s owners that the pub was going to be closed on Easter Monday for “inventory” two days before the tavern was bulldozed.
CLTX is currently appealing the original decision to refuse planning permission and no one from the company was available to provide a comment.
An enforcement notice to rebuild the tavern is expected to be approved by the council on Tuesday, as the owners are barred from preventing the site until it is reconstructed entirely.
It is believed that this is the first time a council has demanded the rebuilding of a structure in its original form.
By Justin Jalil
