A historic Victorian pub open for nearly 200 years may be forced to close over ‘ridiculous’ new licence restrictions which could see outside drinkers banned.
The Sekforde in Clerkenwell has served thirsty Londoners since the early 19th Century, likely including author Charles Dickens whose bank was located on the same road.
But complaints from residents since the Grade II-listed boozer’s renovation in 2018 mean already strict new rules may soon be tightened.
The pub’s landlord, Harry Smith, worries the new licence restrictions could spell the end of the pub’s tenure in the capital.
Many locals praised the watering hole, which first opened in 1829, as a community hub, saying they would be ‘devastated’ if it shut.
But ‘public nuisance’ complaints from some residents living in the £2m properties surrounding the pub have instigated another licence review.
The complaints included ‘noisy people sitting at tables outside the pub’, ‘unnecessary loud laughing’ and ‘women talking at the top of their voices’, a licensing review document seen by Time Out revealed.
Following a 2019 review, the pub was restricted to only being able to open one window on each floor of the building, making the old Victorian building a ‘sauna’ during summer.
The Sekforde in Clerkenwell has served thirsty Londoners since the early 19th Century, likely including author Charles Dickens whose bank was located on the same road.
But complaints from residents since the Grade II-listed boozer’s renovation in 2018 mean already strict new rules may soon be tightened
‘Public nuisance’ complaints from some residents living in the £2m properties surrounding the pub have instigated another licence review
Further rules prohibit the use of one of its main doors after 9pm and a ban on ‘vertical drinking’ – standing up – on Sekforde Street.
A total of just 20 people are allowed to stand outside the other side of the pub, on Woodbridge Street, past 8pm.
However, following further complaints, new rules have been submitted which would ban any drinkers from standing outside the pub and limit outdoor seating to just 20.
Mr Smith, who has run The Sekforde for over five years, says the pub wouldn’t be able to survive under these harsh restrictions.
‘We’re just going to have to close to be honest,’ the 32-year-old, from Islington, said.
‘Office workers like to stand outside to have a drink, and if they don’t do it here they’re going to go to the next pub or the park.
‘I’m feeling so depressed about the whole thing. This place is home to me. It would be devastating to lose it.
‘They told us about this two weeks ago, which coincides with our busiest time of the year. I feel a bit helpless. We’re five years short of 200 years, which is quite sad.’
The pub’s landlord, Harry Smith (pictured), worries the new licence restrictions could spell the end of the pub’s tenure in the capital
A total of just 20 people are allowed to stand outside the other side of the pub, on Woodbridge Street, past 8pm
However, following further complaints, new rules have been submitted which would ban any drinkers from standing outside the pub and limit outdoor seating to just 20
Islington Council say licencing guidelines give ‘greater weight’ to the views of residents than those who don’t live nearby.
But Mr Smith claims the views of a handful of residents are the only ones being listened to at all.
‘It’s the definition of nimbyism,’ he continued. ‘[The council] don’t care about what the office workers want.
‘They literally couldn’t care less. So much weight is given to a small number of people.
‘A lot of people who have moved here recently don’t have a problem, it’s more the people who were here before the renovations.
‘I have tried to reach out to Islington Council but they will never tell me how many complaints we’ve had.
‘They’ve just been building up a bank of complaints behind my back. It has sort of divided everyone a bit.
‘I’ve got a feeling Islington Council are going to discount the opinions of any individuals who don’t live within the radius of the pub.’
Despite the responses of most locals being positive, Mr Smith believes it ‘doesn’t really matter’.
Islington Council say licencing guidelines give ‘greater weight’ to the views of residents than those who don’t live nearby
Many locals praised the watering hole, which first opened in 1829, as a community hub, saying they would be ‘devastated’ if it shut
Local regular Keith McKenna, who visits The Seckford multiple times a week, said the new proposed restrictions were ‘madness’.
‘I’ve never seen any sort of aggravation in here just people enjoying themselves,’ the 52-year-old, who works as a driver, said.
‘But the people who move in don’t seem to like it. This pub has been here hundreds of years and they have not.
‘It seems very unreasonable. The Sekforde is important to the local area I don’t even want to think about the pub closing. It’s more than a pub, it’s a community.’
Dr Fionnuala Wylie has lived on Sekforde Street opposite the Finsbury Bank for Savings – a ‘penny-savings’ bank frequented by Charles Dickens – since the late 1980s.
The 67-year-old and her husband also often visit the pub for a tipple, and said most locals have no problems with the pub.
‘It’s ridiculous,’ Dr Wylie said. ‘The restrictions they are demanding are totally out of line with any other pub in the area.
‘They are basically saying no one can stand outside the pub, and that is madness. There are three particular people who are the main complainants.
Local regular Keith McKenna, who visits The Seckford multiple times a week, said the new proposed restrictions were ‘madness’
Following a 2019 review, the pub was restricted to only being able to open one window on each floor of the building, making the old Victorian building a ‘sauna’ during summer
Further rules prohibit the use of one of its main doors after 9pm and a ban on ‘vertical drinking’ – standing up – on Sekforde Street
‘One of them has also complained about the church bells at St James’s. Most other people are perfectly happy with the pub. It’s a positive amenity in the street.
‘It would be very sad to see it go; pubs are shutting down at a rate of knots across the country at the moment.
‘The house was built before a lot of the street, and it’s the central hub of it. Charles Dickens’ bank was on this street and he was keen on pubs, so I’d imagine he was in the Seckforde a few times.
‘You would have to be a bit blind not to see the pub there when you bought your house [on the street].
‘If you got rid of the pub, it would just be another faceless street in this part of London, where there are endless terraced houses.’
Another woman living just a few doors down from The Sekforde said she was confident that more of her neighbours supported the pub than not.
‘You can’t move next to a pub and expect it to be quiet,’ the mum, in her 50s, said.
‘It’s a place of history and the pub are happy to deal with people, but you’ve got to be realistic.
‘If you move in two doors down from the pub, surely you can work out what’s going to happen?
A woman living just a few doors down from The Sekforde said she was confident that more of her neighbours supported the pub than not
While others took to social media to show their support as journalist Lewis Goodall said the pub’s troubles is ‘everything that’s wrong with Britain’
‘As a council, you should be looking to get a well-rounded view, not just to listen to the complaints.
‘I think it’s a personal vendetta. A hundred per cent there’s more people who support the pub than not.
‘You get more noise from the pub round the corner, and more disruption from the bloody foxes in the night than the Sekforde.
‘It’s a beautiful community pub, mixing residents and office workers. It’s sad they keep getting complaints from a handful of people.’
While others took to social media to show their support as journalist Lewis Goodall said the pub’s troubles is ‘everything that’s wrong with Britain’.
He wrote: ‘One of the best pubs in London struggling for survival because planning is stacked in favour of some powerful (likely old) NIMBYs,’ he wrote.
‘Staff here say they have the council coming in every week monitoring the noise. At a pub. Completely absurd.’
In a statement, a spokesman for Islington Council urged anyone with views on the proposed licencing changes to The Sekforde to contact them before December 18.
In a statement, a spokesman for Islington Council urged anyone with views on the proposed licencing changes to The Sekforde to contact them before December 18
They said: ‘Islington Council, like any other licensing authority, has a legal duty to ensure all licensed premises adhere to the conditions of their licence.
‘The council aims to balance the interests of businesses with those of residents who may be affected by the activities of those businesses, and works with licensed premises to find solutions to issues that might arise.
‘In the case of The Sekforde, the application for review has been made because the licence holder has not ensured the prevention of public nuisance, one of the four licensing objectives.
‘The recommended variations are intended to support the licence holder to meet the objective of preventing public nuisance.
‘The application will be scrutinised by the Licensing Committee, an independent panel, early next year.’
