Between 2000 and 2025, the owner of the Grade II-listed Leslie Arms on Lower Addiscombe Road submitted 13 separate planning applications for the building – 14 if you include his 2009 appeal against a refusal of a planning application.
Ten of these applications required a separate application because of listed building considerations, making a grand total of 24 planning applications.
While the owner, Anwar Ansari, has managed to find tenants for four of the flats he has had built into the upper floors, and has a business using the ground floor and former beer cellar as offices, it remains unclear whether all the planned works have ever been completed. Some kind of judgement on that might be possible when the property is auctioned on June 9.
2000
Dr Anwar Ansari purchased the Leslie Arms
13 March 2001
Planning application submitted for use of first floor and second floor as guest accommodation in connection with existing use of ground floor as pub. Permission granted June 14.
31 July 2003
Planning application submitted for alterations of basement to offices and ground floor for health and medical care facility and for purposes of sale of food and drink; conversion to provide five one-bedroomed flats on first and second floor. Application withdrawn on January 14 2004.
15 March 2004
Permission sought for alterations for use of ground floor to sell food and drink; conversion of first floor and second floor to provide two two-bed flats and one one-bed and one studio flat. Second floor rear extension, landscaped rear roof garden and terrace. Withdrawn on November 24.
10 December 2004
Application for permission to make alterations in order to convert first and second floor accommodation to provide two one-bed and two two-bed flats. Permission granted on October 20 2005.
24 November 2006
Permission sought for alterations in order to convert first floor and second floor to form two one-bed and two two-bed flats with improved access. Application not determined.
19 May 2008
Application to make alterations in order to use rear of ground floor as two two-bedroomed flats. Refused July 9.
24 July 2008
Alterations in order to convert rear part of ground floor as three-bed flat; use of the front section of ground floor for use of provision of financial and professional services. Application refused April 2 2009.
15 June 2009
Croydon Council serves Section 215 notice on Dr Ansari requiring him to improve the condition of his land and property as the condition was adversely affecting the amenities of the neighbourhood.
2 March 2010
Dr Ansari’s appeal to the National Planning Inspectorate against refusal of permission for the 2008 application is dismissed.
24 August 2015
Application under the permitted development framework to use part of ground floor for provision of financial and professional services. Approval granted on October 16 only for proposed change of use from provision of hot food takeaways to use as shop or for financial and professional services.
8 April 2016
Application under the permitted development framework to use a larger part of ground floor than that identified in the 2015 application for use for provision of financial and professional services. Approval granted on June 2, only for proposed change of use from pub to use as shop or for financial and professional services.
13 June 2019
Proposed work to listed building to support new community use and café. Demolition of existing rear hall to provide new rear extension community space and two additional residential units. Change of use from existing one of pub. Permission granted on February 14, 2023.
18 February 2025
Application for discharge of Condition 3 of the permission granted in 2023, that is, the provision of a construction logistics plan prior to the commencement of other works. Status “unknown”, according to council’s planning portal.
In March 2025, a further “change of use” application was made, for the basement and ground floor levels to be altered from pub to flexible commercial/business/service space; associated alterations – partition walls to be erected at basement level to form five rooms.
There’s no trace of this application to be found now on the council’s planning portal.
Ansari has gone ahead and rented out the ground floor and basement as office space to a company called Suburban Studios Ltd, who according to auctioneer details were given a five-year lease in September 2024 – six months before Ansari submitted the planning application for the conversion.
9 June 2026
The Leslie Arms is to be auctioned by Savills, with a guide price of £1,450,000.
Read more: Addiscombe’s listed pub building put up for auction at £1.45m
Read more: Owner Ansari seeks to avoid Leslie Arms planning conditions
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