Tooting MP Sadiq Khan invited campaigners to Parliament last week to celebrate saving a much-loved Tooting pub.

Over the past two months, campaigners have joined forces with Mr Khan to successfully, but temporarily, save the Wheatsheaf pub, on Tooting High Road, from being turned into a supermarket.

The MP secured assurances from Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose and the Co-op that they would keep their hands off the Tooting pub.

Owners Enterprise Inns have also said they have no plans to sell the pub.

But although the pub's short-term future has been secured, its long-term future is not so safe.

More than 1,000 residents signed Mr Khan's letter to Wandsworth Council, calling on them to use planning law (Article 4) to save the pub.

An Article 4 direction would mean that any change of use of the site would have to be considered by elected councillors first.

Mr Khan said: "The campaign wouldn’t be where it is now without such incredible local campaigners.

"Moving forward it is important that we convince our local councillors and Wandsworth Council to get behind the campaign, and push the council to use the powers it has to save the pub."

Yasmin Duggan, who started the campaign said: "It was great to see how strong feelings about a local event translated so seamlessly into focus into the heart of our UK democracy."

Guests included Mike Fenge, manager of The Wheatsheaf; campaign team Chris McQuiggin and Fleur Anderson and Tooting councillor Ben Johnson.

Wandsworth Council have never granted an Article 4 direction for a single building before, but campaigners are hoping councillors will use the powers they have to save this much-loved pub from developers.

 

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