On Thursday 20th June, Bob Neill met with LiDL’s National Director to discuss the future of the Porcupine site in Mottingham. At this meeting, Bob secured an agreement that LiDL will abandon its ‘Part 31’ approach to immediately demolish the Porcupine building. Instead, the supermarket chain will submit a full planning application that will cover both demolition and redevelopment.
As a result of this agreement, Mottingham’s historic community asset will remain standing until the merits of LiDL’s proposed redevelopment are tested via the planning process. This will give residents a meaningful opportunity to submit comments on the plans to Bromley Council’s Planning Department, and it keeps alive the possibility that the Porcupine could be reopened as a pub if LiDL’s application is unsuccessful.
Commenting on this latest news, Bob Neill MP said:
“I had a very frank and honest conversation with LiDL’s National Director and I am grateful that he has agreed to remove the threat of an immediate demolition job.
“The Porcupine pub is an incredibly precious community asset in the very heart of Mottingham Village and it is important that residents are given an opportunity to comment on LiDL’s planned redevelopment while the pub still stands.”
Local Conservative Councillor, Charles Rideout, said:
"I am very pleased that Bob Neal MP has secured this undertaking from the National Director of Lidl to hold back on any demolition of The Porcupine until proper planning applications for a proposed building on the site are submitted. This will give our local residents the opportunity to voice their objections in the normal way at a Plans Sub-Committee hearing, knowing that the pub is still there."
Liz Keable, Chair of Mottingham Residents’ Association, said:
“This is great news for the many hundreds of residents who have been campaigning so hard to save the Porcupine. I am grateful that our local MP has made LiDL see that it is in everyone’s interest to subject its demolition and redevelopment plan to a full and democratic application process.”