Bexleyheath residents are waving goodbye to a beloved pub in their area, as a local Wetherspoons announces its closure.
The Wrong ‘Un on the Broadway joins 11 other JD Wetherspoons pubs being sold in London as the company said rising staff wages and repair costs could lead to a £30m loss.
A Bexley Council spokesperson said: “The Council is naturally disappointed to learn of the closure of The Wrong ‘Un pub in Bexleyheath which is of course entirely a commercial decision by Wetherspoons.”
On the closure of the pub, Vic Beale, a local of Bexleyheath, recalled the first time he entered the Wetherspoons on its opening day 28 years ago.
He said: “It’s a funny name, The Wrong ‘Un, it’s a cricketing expression. For a long time they had a full-sized statue of a batsman in his gear inside the pub.”
Mr Beale, who lives a seven-minute walk from The Wrong ‘Un, learned of the closure last week while having breakfast in the pub when he overheard staff.
He said: “It will be sadly missed.
"It’s a friendly pub, many of the staff have been there a good many years.
"It attracts a lot of regular people in there more or less every morning.”
Regulars such as Mr Beale can be spotted on page 46 of the latest issue of Wetherspoons News, celebrating the 28th birthday of The Wrong ‘Un.
The Furze Wren, another Wetherspoons located in the nearby Broadway Square, has been spared from the list of closing pubs.
The Bexley Council spokesperson said: “Whilst the loss of this popular establishment will be felt by some, we are fortunate that the Broadway continues to provide a wide range of alternative pubs for residents to enjoy.”
The string of closures forms part of the wider 32 JD Wetherspoons pubs announced for sale across the UK.
Wetherspoons spokesman Eddie Gershon said it was a “commercial decision”, and that the pubs will continue to operate as normal until they are sold.
Regarding the chain’s announcement, Roger Warhurst, a spokesperson for the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) said: “The pubs already closed or earmarked for disposal seem to have been selected more for their potential property and resale value rather than lack of trade or popularity.”
CBRE and Savills have been chosen to market the pubs set to be sold. After the news, CBRE senior director Toby Hall praised the “excellent mix of locations” among the pubs, calling the situation an “excellent opportunity for existing pub operators and new entrants”.
In response to the statement, Mr Warhurst said: “In today’s economic climate it seems unlikely that many other operators will currently be looking to expand their estates, particularly taking on pubs with relatively large floorspaces to heat and light, which must make them more vulnerable to proposals to convert to other uses.”
According to Mr Beale, The Wrong ‘Un used to be a furniture shop before becoming a pub.
Whoever buys the pub may see other uses for it, but it could be tricky for them to turn it into anything else.
The London Plan 2021 says applications to change locally significant pubs should be refused “unless there is authoritative marketing evidence that demonstrates that there is no realistic prospect of the building being used as a pub in the foreseeable future”.
The Bexleyheath Wetherspoons is continuing to trade until it’s sold.
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