Plans to turn 19th Century South London pub into 9 homes could take 16 months to complete

The fourth proposal in five years has been submitted to change The Who’d a Thought It pub into homes

A proposal to transform the site of a derelict 19th Century Plumstead pub into nine houses could take over a year to complete. This is the fourth planning application in five years seeking planning permission to change The Who’d a Thought It at 7 Timbercroft Lane into homes.

Prior schemes were refused by Greenwich Council because Greenwich planners didn’t believe the loss of the pub was justified and they didn’t want to see the locally listed building demolished.

The previous proposal, which was withdrawn in 2025, sought to retain the public house and build six dwellings. The new plan wants to remove the pub entirely as the applicant Goldenspark (Timber) Ltd claims there is “no realistic or viable prospect of the site continuing in public house use”.

Planning documents state: “The previous submission sought to retain a reduced public house use within a rationalised building footprint.

“Following extensive engagement with the Royal Borough of Greenwich, including direct correspondence with the case officer, the applicant has now reviewed the proposal in full.

“The council advised that a fully residential scheme could be supported in principle, provided that the loss of the public house use is properly justified through a new viability assessment and marketing report which reflects current marketing conditions.”

The new scheme will retain The Who’d a Thought It’s historic frontage and it will reinstate its sign as a “clear heritage reference”.

The new scheme will see the partial demolition of the pub but three homes will be built within the curtilage of The Who’d a Thought It which was constructed around 1845.

Two more structures will also be built on the site. One will be a three-bedroom dwelling and the other will contain four one-bedroom flats and another three-bedroom unit in a row of three terraced houses.

If planning permission is granted, the applicant hopes to begin construction on the site in December. The project is expected to be completed in March 2028.

The planning application can be viewed in full on Greenwich Council’s planning portal at reference 24/3746/F. Plumstead residents have until August 26 to share their views on the project.

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