The owners of the Grade II-listed Burn Bullock pub in Mitcham say they will continue parking cars behind the building to deter vandalism and prevent caravans from entering the site, despite a Merton Council enforcement notice requiring them to stop. The owners told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) they will comply with the notice once work begins to refurbish the pub and build a care home on its car park.
Owners cite security concerns for car storage
Kam Baig, of Phoenix Group Investments Limited, which owns the pub, told the LDRS that the cars had been stockpiled as a deterrent to people wanting to enter the Burn Bullock site. “We had two or three incidents where people with caravans tried to park inside,” Mr Baig said. “We also had squatters in the pub. They are the people who burned the pub up, it wasn’t insurance or anything like that.”
Following advice from police, Mr Baig said the group took steps to secure the site by installing a gate. He and an associate named Abdul, who was present during the LDRS visit, also said they had encouraged friends to park their cars on the site as a deterrent. During the visit, the LDRS observed a car with its bonnet raised, but Abdul insisted that no mechanic work was being carried out on site.
Enforcement notice and history of non-compliance
Merton Council served Phoenix Group Investments Limited with an enforcement notice in February 2023, requiring them to stop storing cars in the car park and using it as a “makeshift scrapyard” and repair workshop. The notice, one of a decade-long series of enforcement actions against the owners, also required the removal of portable cabins being used for storage. Despite being given until April 2023 to comply, a recent LDRS visit to the site found numerous cars still parked behind the pub.
The Burn Bullock, on the corner of Mitcham’s Cricket Green, suffered extensive damage to its timber roof and interior following the April 2024 fire. The building remains on the Heritage at Risk Register, with much of the roof still exposed to the elements as it approaches its third winter since the blaze.
Refurbishment plans and costs
Mr Baig said the building remained “stable” but needed extensive refurbishment before it could return to use. “The pub needs a lot of money to refurbish and develop,” he told the LDRS, estimating the cost could exceed £2 million. He said the main areas of work would be the roof, windows and interior.
The LDRS previously reported how Phoenix unveiled plans in 2016 to redevelop the pub into flats with a pub on the ground floor. The group now plans to refurbish the pub, build a care home on the car park and extend the adjoining locally listed Mitcham Cricket Club pavilion to provide new mixed-gender showers and a cafeteria. Mr Baig said a pre-application had been submitted for the pub and car park, and that Phoenix would “comply” with Merton Council’s enforcement notice once work began on those projects.
Community criticism and council response
However, Secretary of Mitcham Cricket Green Community & Heritage (MCGCH), Tony Burton, believes the continued presence of the cars represents a failure by the council. “The sorry state of the Burn Bullock casts a shadow over Mitcham,” he told the LDRS. “It blights the neighbourhood and threatens the very future of cricket on the Green. For too long Merton Council has fallen short on enforcing its own enforcement, and the abuse of the car park is just the latest chapter in a sorry tale. It is a time for leadership and for Merton Council to listen to the local community crying out for a solution.”
He believes Phoenix’s “failure” to regenerate the site leaves compulsory purchase by Merton Council as the only remaining option to safeguard the pub's future. However, the council insists responsibility for the building remains with the owners.
A spokesperson for Merton Council told the LDRS: “We share residents' concern and sadness at the condition of the Burn Bullock. The council has taken repeated enforcement action over more than a decade to address the condition and unauthorised use of the building and its car park, including vehicle storage. Following the tragic fire in April 2024, our officers worked with emergency services, supported displaced occupants and carried out urgent initial safety work. We also issued a notice requiring the owners to make the building and site permanently safe. Working alongside Historic England, we have pressed the owners to protect the building, with discussions covering structural safety, scaffolding and roof protection. We have also received and approved an application for listed-building consent for supporting scaffolding. We are exploring all available options to help preserve this important local historical building. Our Local Plan seeks to safeguard the pavilion’s continued use for cricket and secure its long-term community ownership and management, alongside restoration of the Burn Bullock.”
