pic: Flickr- nicksarebi

Hackney Council have voted to extend the Regent’s Canal Conservation area, which means the historic Wenlock Arms pub is now saved from demolition.

As the pub now has ‘listed’ status, the council can veto attempts to demolish the property made by the owners in December.

Owners had pinned a notice of intent to demolish on the pub’s doors earlier this month despite its application for a block of flats being rejected earlier this year.

Hackney’s planning committee had voted down the application due to the pub’s “historical value and architectural character”. The notice caused outrage among the Save the Wenlock campaign, which has amassed followers worldwide.

More information about the Save The Wenlock campaign can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Under the 1964 Building Act, the owners of a non-listed property do not need planning approval to demolish it. This left the Wenlock Arms, which has stood on Wenlock Road for over 250 years and survived the Blitz, vulnerable to developers.

The decision now means Hackney Council now has the power to veto demolition proposals on the pub. The new conservation area came into effect on Sunday January 1 2012.

The Wenlock Warriors, a campaign group made up of pub staff and regulars, reacted with triumph but believe the fight to save the pub is not quite over.

Campaigner Insa Heiss, 43, said: “We’re expecting the owners to appeal the decision.

“New buyers will have to be found, and ‘accidental’ demolitions need to be watched for!”

Hackney Council could not confirm whether any new planning applications had been made by the pub’s owners since the conservation decision was reached, though the issue is expected to continue into the New Year.