LCE Property claimed the new gambling venue would be a “vital social hub” and assured the LDRS the site would not operate as an Adult Gaming Centre
A further twist has emerged in the tale of a West London pub controversially reopened as a discount store, as plans are submitted for it to potentially be transformed into a bingo hall.
The former Hammersmith Ram, a historic watering hole on King Street, was shut as a pub in July when Young & Co.’s Brewery sold it to Hammersmith Realty Ltd, an arm of the Ealing-based property company Arora Family.
Within weeks however it had reopened under the name ‘Discount Store’, without the necessary planning permission.
This led to consternation among some local residents and councillors, with Hammersmith and Fulham Council writing to Arora Family on the issue.
LCE Property, a real estate company, has now filed a proposal with the council to reimagine the premises as a bingo hall.
This appears to contradict previous comments by Arora Family, which told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the intention was to retain the building as a pub long-term.
Mohan Sidhu, a Director at LCE, said the application will maintain the look and feel of the premises, though that it will become “more of a leisure thing”.
He added there are plans to apply for an alcohol licence if the current application is successful.
The Hammersmith Ram was a well-known pub with a history going back centuries. Following the sale earlier in the summer many residents and other passers-by were surprised when it was promptly reopened as a store.
A spokesperson for Arora Family told the LDRS the current occupier had been introduced on a temporary basis after squatters moved into the building, and that it appeared as if it had acted outside the terms of the agreement by running the premises as a shop.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council wrote to Arora Family raising concerns about the change of use before planning permission had been secured. A deadline for a response was given of September 22, which if not complied with could lead to enforcement action.
As was first reported by local publication Hammersmith Today, LCE Property’s application to turn the site into a bingo hall was registered by the council on September 14. A public consultation is to run until October 14.
The submission claims the proposal will “attract patrons of all ages and should be seen as a community orientated venue”.
It continues: “Beyond the gambling aspect, these venues act as vital social hubs that encourage local interaction, build relationships, and help reduce loneliness for participants. It reuses commercial floor space, causes no unacceptable amenity impacts and enhances vitality and viability in our ever declining high streets.”
Mr Sidhu told the LDRS the plan is for the premises to be similar to a Buzz Bingo, and that a social element will be key to its operations.
“We still want to keep that same look, same everything…[but] it’s more of a leisure thing,” he said.
Some premises, in areas such as Brent, have applied for bingo licences then begun operating as adult gaming centres (AGCs) due to a loophole that only requires some form of bingo game to be present in a certain percentage of the venue, for instance a stack of digital tablets, for the licencing conditions to be met. Mr Sidhu said this is will not happen at the King Street site.
The LDRS asked Arora Family about LCE’s application, highlighting it does not seem to align with an earlier comment stating the company is searching for a long-term pub operator.
A spokesperson for Arora Family said: “Due to the ongoing issues with the current tenant, we are now actively considering operators who may take over the ground-floor premises.
“Our position is that any future occupier will be required, under their agreement with Hammersmith Realty Limited, to operate strictly within the planning permissions and permitted uses authorised by Hammersmith and Fulham Council. We will not authorise any occupier to operate outside the lawful planning use of the premises.
“We remain very open to discussions with suitable operators/tenants who may be interested in taking over the former Hammersmith Ram. Should an appropriate operator come forward, we would be pleased to consider their proposal.
“As previously stated, our objective is to secure a suitable and sustainable long-term operator for the premises, with any future agreement making it expressly clear that the property may only be used in accordance with the permissions granted by the council.”
Hammersmith Broadway councillors Callum Nimmo and Molly Mantle have launched a petition to reopen the Hammersmith Ram as a pub.
Cllr Mantle said: “Pubs are a cornerstone of our community, and their status is protected. So as soon as we saw what happened, we asked, ‘was there planning permission?'”
Cllr Nimmo added: “The answer: no planning application had been made. So we’re asking, how did this happen, and why weren’t local people given a say?”
Southwark News reported last week how a Peckham Wetherspoon’s had closed permanently, with LCE Property plans to convert it into a bingo hall now under consideration.
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