An application to demolish a Goodmayes pub from the 1870s has been withdrawn by developers after residents campaigned to save the premises which has “significant historical value”.

Ilford Recorder: The Lord Napier Pub before it closed in May.The Lord Napier Pub before it closed in May. (Image: Archant)

The Lord Napier pub, in Green Lane, has been closed since May and campaigners have been working ever since to ensure it stays as a pub.

A demolition notice was first placed on the building on June 17 but developer, Lord Homes Limited, withdrew the application last week.

They have since applied for planning permission to re-roof the nineteenth century pub and upgrade the insulation, which is awaiting approval by Redbridge Council.

Morag McCall, who has been leading the campaign for the past two months, said: “The withdrawal of the demolition application is a success however I am anxious to find out what the developers intentions for the building are.

“When I drove past on Tuesday the roof had been taken off and the windows were smashed in, leaving the premises exposed to the elements.”

According to Miss McCall, the pub was regularly used as a venue for live music which is rare after The Cauliflower, High Road, Ilford, closed in May.

She said: “Campaigners are worried the pub is going to fall into a state of neglect. The venue is an important community facility offering something for all sections of society.

“People will have to travel quite some way to find something similar and the loss of the family fun days and the safe environment that the pub offered, will be a big loss.”

Supporter of the campaign, Paul Scott, of Sandhurst Drive, Goodmayes, said: “I have been a regular at The Lord Napier for the last five or six years, and want to see it taken over as a community pub. The public support for this campaign has been overwhelming.

“It is part of the fabric of the area and has significant historical value after being built around 1872.”