‘Madness’ as 200-year-old pub faces closure after neighbours complain about drinkers

A historic Victorian open for almost two centuries may be forced to close over new licence restrictions – which could see customers banned from drinking outside.

The Sekforde in Clerkenwell has served thirsty since the early 19th Century, but complaints from wealthy residents since the Grade II-listed establishment’s 2018 renovation mean already strict new rules may be tightened further.

Harry Smith, the ‘s landlord, worries that the new licence restrictions could spell the end of the pub. The prospect of it closing brought concern with some locals, who said they would be “devastated” if it shuttered permanently.

But “public nuisance” complaints from some residents living in the £2m properties surrounding The Sekforde on Woodbridge Street have brought about another licence review.

After a 2019 review, the was restricted to only being able to open one window on each floor of the building – which is said to turn the old Victorian building into “sauna” during the summer.

Further rules prohibit the use of one of its main doors after 9pm and ban “vertical drinking” – also known as “standing up” – on Sekforde Street.

A maximum of 20 people are currently allowed to stand outside the other side of the pub past 8pm.

But following further complaints, new rules have been submitted which would see punters banned from standing outside the pub, while limiting outdoor seating to only 20.

Mr Smith, 32, who has run the local haunt for over five years, says the pub wouldn’t be able to survive under the restrictions.

“We’re just going to have to close to be honest,” he told SWNS. “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,” he added.

Islington Council says licencing guidelines give “greater weight” to the views of residents than those who don’t live nearby, but Mr Smith claims only the views of a handful of residents are being listened to.

“It’s the definition of nimbyism,” he claimed. “[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,” he claimed.

“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 regrettably believes it “doesn’t really matter”.

“[Local residents] have a choice,” he said. “If you have [millions of pounds], that’s a financial choice – you can move. You’re telling the council your life’s terrible but you have the financial freedom to move. You could get out of EC1, for a start, if you want a quieter life.”

The news agency said despite trying to contact complaining neighbours living near the pub, it proved difficult to find any who were willing to talk.

Keith McKenna, a local regular 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.”

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? As a council, you should be looking to get a well-rounded view, not just to listen to the complaints.

“You get more noise from the pub round the corner, and more disruption from the bloody foxes in the night than the Sekforde,” she the local said.

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.

“The meeting will be held in public and interested parties, including the licence holder, will have the opportunity to make representations. Before then, anyone can give their views on the proposed variations by emailing [email protected] no later than 18 December.

“Everyone making representations is encouraged to provide their name and address. Licensing guidelines give greater weight to the views of residents who live in the vicinity of the pub, while lesser weight is afforded to those with no name or address.”