What next for the Montague Arms?

So last night there was an event at the Montague Arms, a Christmas party for the Nettleton Road Housing Co-op. Sorry for any confusion about this - last week somebody involved in it sent us the flyer (below) and asked us to promote it, so we put up a post about it. Then somebody else contacted us and said it was a private party and that if we didn't delete the post, it might be cancelled. So we took it down.

Pleased to report that party went ahead (photo below was posted on Twitter by My Tiger My Timing), but it seems that this was the last event before the building is handed over to new owners next week. The place is fondly remembered by many, as recalled here before, but other than the odd private event it has been closed as a pub for almost a year.

So what next? Property Company Kingsbury has announced that the building has been 'acquired for development' (see below, accessed from their website yesterday). They say that it 'will be subject to a planning application to restore viable commercial activities at ground floor level, with a number of residential apartments above'. It's unclear whether the intention is to  refurbish  the existing building, or to put in planning permission to demolish and rebuild, but Kingsbury have told the Newsshopper that it won't be a pub. So it looks like another good pub gone, unless the new owners have a change of heart. There is certainly scope for a viable pub in that area, for a start Southwark Council has opened a big new office opposite Queens Road station with nowhere nearby for staff to drink after work on Queens Road between Peckham and New Cross.