Mitcham residents have called for Merton Council to purchase the Burn Bullock from owners following last weekend’s devastating fire.
Local activists have also warned the nearby cricket club is at risk of a similar fate unless action is taken.
The fire ripped through the grade 2 listed pub last Friday evening (April 19).
Twelve fire engines and around 80 firefighters fought back the blaze, but not before it caused extensive damage to the building, some of which dates back to the 16th century.
The Burn Bullock, named after the famous cricketer associated with the nearby Mitcham Cricket Club (MCC), became a local landmark thanks to its proximity to the historic cricket green opposite. However, the pub has sat unused for the last decade and has attracted squatters, graffiti, and flytipping in the intervening years.
In a statement published on X, the MCC said: “We are horrified by the tragic destruction of the Burn Bullock pub in last night’s fire, although extremely relieved that no one was hurt. Fortunately, our historic cricket pavilion has not been damaged. It does, however, seem like the upstairs function room in the Burn Bullock where the Cricket Scorers and Umpires’ Association was formed has now been lost.”
On the day of the incident, the club posted pictures of the blaze accompanied by the caption: “A black day for Mitcham…Disgracefully neglected for years.”
The pub was purchased by Phoenix Investments Group Limited in 2009 for the reported sum of £450,000. The company, listed in Mitcham, own a number of other historical assets in the area including the nearby Windmill pub.
Mitcham residents have suggested that the owners have neglected the pub in recent years, and have accused them of not working hard enough to secure its safety as a listed building. This concern has led to some calling for Merton Council to take control of the pub via compulsory purchase.
The local democracy reporting service (LDRS) contacted Kam Baig, of Phoenix Investments Group Limited regarding the incident. He responded by saying: “I’m shocked but there is an investigation going on so I cannot comment anymore.”
The call for action from the Council has been led by the Mitcham Cricket Green Community and Heritage Group (MCGCH), who aim to protect the historic character of the area. Its chair, Tony Burton, spoke to the following the fire.
Burton said: “After years of neglect the tragedy of the Burn Bullock fire needs to mark a turning point for this historic site. The future of the much loved coaching inn and the tradition of cricket on Cricket Green are both at stake.
“We can no longer leave the future of the Burn Bullock and Mitcham cricket pavilion to the site owners and Merton Council should step in and take the lead. The Council has extensive powers to require the listed coaching inn to be restored and compulsorily purchase the whole site when this does not happen.
“It is imperative that future plans include securing the future of Mitcham cricket pavilion in community hands. Cricket has been played in Mitcham longer than anywhere else in the world and we need to guarantee its future.”
In addition to calling for compulsory purchase, the MCGCH has also called for Merton Council to issue the owners with a “repairs notice” to ‘put right the “damage” caused by the fire. The MCGCH also fears for the future of the neighbouring cricket pavilion, which sits under the same ownership as the pub
The MCGCH told the LDRS how the cricket club has no security over the continuing use of the pavilion, which could threaten the future of cricket on a site that has seen it being played there continuously since 1685. It also called for it to be “put into community hands” to ensure its future.
In a statement published yesterday (April 23), Merton stated they were “determined to explore all options available to us to help preserve the building once the investigation by the emergency services has been concluded.”
Hannah Doody, Chief Executive of Merton Council, said: “Merton Council recognises the huge community impact caused by the devastating fire at the historic and much-loved, Grade II listed Burn Bullock pub in London Road, Mitcham.
“The Council wants to thank the 80 firefighters who fought for three hours to bring the fire under control. We are relieved that nobody was injured.
“The cause of the fire is being investigated by the fire brigade, and we are all anxious to find out what happened. Council officers worked with the emergency services throughout the evening to help make the area safe.
“Our immediate priority was supporting the occupants of the building with emergency accommodation, food and clothing. The Council is now helping these residents to access longer-term support.
“Our other priority is site safety. This is the responsibility of the landowners, and we have issued a notice requiring them to make the building and site permanently safe. However, we have undertaken urgent initial safety work in the meantime.
“We will be meeting Historic England this week to begin assessing the extent of the damage and seeking their advice on how to prevent the building from deteriorating further. We recognise how much this building means to the borough and the community.
“The Council has acted many times with partner agencies to try to ensure the safety of the building and those living in it, including as recently as last year. But the council has very limited powers to further intervene because the building and land is privately owned.”
Pat Sollis, the long-serving landlady of the Windmill due to retire in October, told the LDRS of the Burn Bullock’s importance to Mitcham residents. She said: “The whole of Mitcham, Wimbledon and Tooting were shocked by it, somebody even messaged me from Australia saying I’m sitting here watching it on the news and it’s absolutely appalling.”
She added: “I have to drive past it to come to the Windmill to come to work, but I told my other half I have to change direction now and go a different route because I’ll go to work annoyed, angry, and upset when I look at the state of it.”
