I'll Get This One: City of London Set for Pubs Surge

The City of London will see a host of new and restored pubs opening over the next few years, in stark contrast to the trend UK-wide, as the capital's historic financial district puts public houses at the centre of its drive to woo workers and visitors back into the Square Mile after the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Pubs are shutting down at a rate of two every day across England and Wales, according to stark official government figures published in September, which found 230 pubs disappeared from local communities in the second quarter of this year. The figures meant a total of 383 pubs were demolished or converted for other uses such as homes and during the first half of the year, close to the total of 386 closures seen in the entirety of 2022. The figures showed that at the end of June, there were just under 40,000 pubs left in England and Wales.

But re-working existing pubs within development schemes is a key part of the City of London Corporation's initiative to entice people to an area that was more synonymous with workers than tourists.

It says it is doing this in particular by negotiating with developers to provide new pubs in more prominent locations, with more trading floorspace, external areas, improved accessibility and striking architectural statements which it says will "catch the eye".

The new pubs are:

• Salisbury Arms, Salisbury Square: The developer, in this case the City of London Corporation, is re-purposing the listed building on site as a new triple aspect and multistorey pub, in a prominent location on the corner of Salisbury Square, itself on a lane off Fleet Street. It will feature an external, south facing terrace. The scheme continues the historic connection between the nearby courts of law and the pubs which clustered around them.

• The Still and Star, Aldgate: The pub is being moved to a new, more prominent location near the former Aldgate City entrance, with the new design taking into account the "historical connections characterised by the approaches, courts and alley to the City's gates and bridges", the City says. The pub will feature a large external terrace area, partly covered, in a re-imagined Harrow Alley.

• St Bride's Tavern, Blackfriars: The pub feature a prominent, multi-aspect longer frontage, with expansive trading floors and a new public route.
• The King’s Arms, 55 Old Broad Street: The City says the pub is "visually anonymous" in a 1960s unattractive office block, but will become as a prominent new focal point, featuring a larger external terrace. It will be designed in a "striking and bold red faience to attract the eye along London Wall".
• The White Swan, Fetter Lane: The pub will be re-located on a prominent double aspect corner location.

Chairman of the City of London Corporation Planning and Transport Committee Shravan Joshi said: “The pub has always been a vital asset in the City and it continues to play an important role in making the Square Mile an attractive place to work, develop and invest. Protection of existing pubs, particularly those which are assets of community value and those of heritage and historic significance, is a key priority.

“The City Corporation’s planning team is focusing on creating an environment where pubs can flourish. Through planning policy and approving developments which provide that much needed cultural and visitor infrastructure, we will make the Square Mile a 7-day-a-week visitor destination, for everyone.”

The City of London Corporation is the governing body of the Square Mile.

According to the ONS Inter-Departmental Business Register's most recent London pubs audit, published in 2023, the overall number of pubs in the capital has remained largely unchanged since 2017, making it difficult to see an effect of the pandemic period.

The City of London had 150 pubs, a figure that has fallen by 6% between March 2020 and March 2022, making it one of the London authority areas to see the biggest reduction in pubs recently. The City Corporation confirmed to CoStar News that there are now 113 pubs in the Square Mile, suggesting a precipitous fall before its drive now to add more.

The borough with the largest number of pubs in 2022 was Westminster, with around 425 pubs, a 2% decrease from 2020 to 2022.