Updated: Wednesday 5 February 2025
Burn Bullock, the historic Grade II listed building in London Road, Mitcham, suffered a devastating fire on Friday, 19 April 2024.
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 landowners have secured the site with hoarding. We also installed CCTV in the area to deter unauthorised access.
Building
We determined that the building requires scaffolding to stabilise it, and the landowners have chosen contractors, AEM Demolition, to carry out this work. The contractors are in the process of designing the scaffolding alongside a programme of further works.
Once these are completed, the council, alongside Historic England and the police, will review the designs to ensure they are appropriate.
AEM Demolition has formally agreed with us not to start any work until this agreed plan is in place and listed building consent – which protects the building’s unique character - has been granted.
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.
Because the site is privately owned, this severely restricts what we are able to legally and practically 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.
We will continue to liaise with the contractors working on behalf of the landowners and Historic England for the restoration of the building.
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.