Updated: Friday 19 July 2024

Burn Bullock, the historic Grade II listed building in London Road, Mitcham, suffered a devastating fire on Friday, 19 April 2024.

London Fire Brigade fought for three hours to bring the fire under control. Police and Merton Council officers worked throughout the evening to make the area safe.

Council officers helped secure emergency accommodation for the occupants and provided food and clothing. 

Police investigation 

The police carried out investigative work in May and provided an update at a community meeting at Vestry Hall, London Road

An investigation remains open and anyone with any information should contact Merton Police on 101, citing CAD6702/19APR.

Site security 

The site was returned to the landowners who have secured it with hoarding. We also installed CCTV in the area to deter unauthorised access.  

Building 

We are preparing an ‘Urgent Works Notice’ requiring the construction of scaffolding to the building to stabilise it, and to enable further investigation into the condition of the structure to determine what work can be done next. This is currently being reviewed by Historic England before being issued to the landowners.

Longer-term

We recognise the huge significance and legacy of Burn Bullock. Due to the building’s Grade II Listing, restoration will be extremely costly. All options need to be carefully examined in terms of who will lead on that work.

Because the site is privately owned, this severely restricts what the council is able, legally and practically, to do at this stage.  

The landowners will require approval from us, in consultation with Historic England, for the permanent restoration of the building.

We know residents and community groups have asked us to consider a compulsory purchase order of the building. This is a legal act that compels the sale of a private building/site to a public body. This is a hugely complex action and is further complicated by the listing status. This is something that we have considered and will continue to consider, and we will update you in due course.

Enforcement history

Burn Bullock was shut down as a pub 15 years ago and since then, the building has fallen into disrepair.

We have made repeated attempts, and issued legal orders, to compel the freeholders to act to repair it. However, no action was taken by the freeholder.

We also issued a notice to cease occupancy of the building and the unauthorised business activities in the yard.

This was not complied with either; and the council was considering its next move before the fire took place.

We are meeting the Planning Inspectorate on Tuesday 22 July in response to the appeal lodged by the landowners against the planning enforcement notice requiring all unauthorised activity to stop. 

Agencies - including the council - carried out multiple site inspections, including last year, to try to ensure the safety and security of the building and those living in it. But, again, the agencies were unable to further intervene due to the limitation in the powers available to them.

White Hart

Many residents have expressed concerns about The White Hart, in London Road, which is another empty former pub of local significance.

The council and the police carried out an inspection on Thursday 2 May. They discovered that the building was being occupied without proper authorisation, and this is now under investigation by the council. As with Burn Bullock, the powers of the council, and its statutory partners, are limited due to its private ownership status.