The Leslie Arms, a well known local landmark in Addiscombe, has been closed for more than 20 years. The Leslie is a very attractive turn of the 19th and 20th century building which is such a good example of its kind that it has now attracted a Grade II listing. This means that the building is protected and cannot be demolished or altered in any way that will detract from its special character.

Unfortunately, as the Leslie has been left vacant (other than some small flats on the first and second floor)and poorly maintained for so long, the building is now beginning to deteriorate to such an extent that heritage organisations like English Heritage and the Victorian Society have placed it on their ‘at risk’ registers.

There has been a Leslie Arms public house on this site since the 1850s and the pub as it now stands was completed about 1900. The Leslie Arms was originally built by Croydon’s largest brewer, Nalder and Collyer who were based on Croydon High Street approximately where Leon House stands today. The Leslie Arms building is jam packed with historic detail and needs to have its future safeguarded.

This type of large building could offer a valuable place for Croydon residents and visitors to the town to enjoy, but as things stand the current owner who has had possession of the building for twenty years does not seem to be able or willing to bring the Leslie back to life. There have been a number of planning applications considered by the Council but there seems to be what is described by the Victoria Society as an ‘intractable problem’ with getting the Leslie moving again.

The law has methods for just this sort of eventuality. Local authorities, the Secretary of State or Historic England all have powers they can use to compulsorily purchase a listed building that is at risk. Everybody knows that money is in short supply in local authorities these days, but perhaps a question that needs to be asked of all Croydon’s mayoral candidates is how they propose that this building should be brought back to life.

The CRO’s view is that this would be a great site for a pub/theatre or some small scale music venue with food and drink being served. Croydon is very short of smaller venues for new bands and artists to showcase their talents. A pub theatre would bring more footfall into the Cherry Orchard Road junction which it is sorely lacking at the moment