Planning and urban design consultancy Turley Associates, acting on behalf of the Dulwich Estate, has secured planning permission and listed building consent for the hotel which will form part of the scheme which will also restore the interior of the pub.
The planned alteration to the pub has been the subject of a public consultation in the area and the proposal had garnered some support from locals who had bemoaned the lack of hotel stock in the Dulwich Village area.
"At a time when many pubs are struggling the Dulwich Estate has recognised the importance of this community resource and focal point of Dulwich Village. The permission ensures its long term future," said Will Lingard, director at Turley Associates.
Unanimous
The scheme will create an improved dining room, kitchen facilities and garden area for the pub, while also restoring the exterior and outbuildings of the property and upgrading the function room in the venue.
A spokesperson for the Dulwich Estate said: "The scheme, for which an operator has yet to be confirmed, protects and improves the core use of the building as a public house.
"The hotel will bring the remaining redundant and underused parts of the building back into a viable and complimentary use, thereby ensuring the long term protection and maintenance of this listed building and key local landmark within Dulwich Village. The scheme also retains the existing first floor function room, which will be restored and upgraded to a high standard."
Turley Associates worked with EPR architects, project managers and Southwark Council officers on the project in order to retain the site's historic context - the listed property used to be two Victorian pubs. Council officers recommended the scheme to the planning committee whose members voted unanimously to approve the project.
"There are several local drivers behind hotel demand locally, particularly the Dulwich Picture Gallery, small businesses, the four local schools and demand from families and friends of local residents,” the Dulwich Estate spokesperson added.