Councillors Give Permission for Pub to Be Turned into Flats

Accepted that The Duke of York would never be viable

One of the bus stops were the digital ad display (right) would be placed

January 31, 2023

A once-loved pub that was left to fall into disrepair after it was taken over by squatters will now be turned into flats. The Duke of York in Chiswick first opened in the 1830s. But after years of standing empty, its life as a pub will finally come to an end.

The pub, which stands on the corner of Fraser Street and Devonshire Road, was once popular with locals but slowly fell out of favour. In the early 2000s, people raved online about the “traditional community local” but just ten years later punters going into the Duke of York were finding it “virtually deserted”.

It closed in 2018, after years of poor reviews that described the place as “tired and unwelcoming” and a boozer that “reeked of neglect”. During its final year as a pub, according to a letter sent to Hounslow Council by Willmotts, the landlord was “difficult to deal with” and finally evicted.

A refurb of the establishment was attempted in 2019, but squatters moved in and didn’t leave until April 2020, just in time for the impact of the Covid pandemic. In a letter, Wilmotts said, “The pandemic was taking a hold already during the time when squatters were evicted and all work was stopped until further notice, the condition of the pub the squatters left it at was horrendous.”

CGI of the new flats inside the Duke of York in Chiswick. Picture: Tsuruta Architects

Willmotts attempted to let the property to a new landlord but no official interest was registered. The letter continued: “Since the start of Covid in March 2020 we have had no enquiries, this just demonstrates the lack of need for a commercial premise within the location of this property.”

With the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and the war in Ukraine adding further pressure on the economy, it was decided to take the Duke of York in a different direction. In 2022, plans were submitted to Hounslow Council to turn the neglected pub into two flats.

On Friday (27 January), Hounslow Council approved the plans to turn the old pub into two modern flats. Both homes will have two bedrooms, both located on the ground floor, with measures in place to protect privacy from those on the street.

The kitchen and living room space in both flats will be located upstairs on the first floor. The second flat will have access to the pub’s terrace as a private outdoor space, while first flat have a small balcony which will be installed into the roof.

Due to it’s proximate to nearby bus routes and tube stations, there will be no parking for cars available. Instead, there will be four cycle parking spaces for the flats to take advantage of.

Despite turning the Duke of York into homes, developers want to retain much of the building’s past by making sure the outside still looks like a pub In documents they say, “Our proposal includes reinstating the former glory of the Duke of York by repairing and upgrading the fascia and windows, doors, and frames and repainting the gable end wall to match with the fascia strip.”

Megan Stanley - Local Democracy Reporter