Our open letter to the owner of the Burn Bullock pub and cricket pavilion

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Our Chair and the Chair of Mitcham Cricket Club have jointly published an open letter to the owner of the Burn Bullock pub. This comes in response to an article in the Wimbledon Guardian.

Our letter was published in the Guardian on 27 November 2014, and it can be found at the Guardian website as a letter to the editor: Words do not match actions over historic Burn Bullock pub. The full text of the letter follows.

We were interested to read of Kamran Baig’s plans for the Burn Bullock and Mitcham cricket pavilion (Hotel plan for former pub, November 6).

You were right to say that the pub is ‘dilapidated’. This is the direct result of Mr Baig’s inaction – some might say wilful neglect – over many years. It is truly shocking that the owner of this Grade II listed building has allowed it to fall into such a state of disrepair that it was put on the 2014 Heritage at Risk register by English Heritage last month.

Mr Baig has consistently ignored not only local people but also notices served on him by Merton Council, and has run illegal car wash and car sales businesses from the pub’s car park – activity which was stopped by yet further action by Merton Council.

We have made numerous approaches to Mr Baig to discuss both the Burn Bullock and the Cricket Pavilion. He says he wishes to engage and then never follows up.

If he did, he would learn that there are compelling reasons why building a new cricket pavilion on the green is a non starter and hear about our exciting ideas for making even better use of the pavilion which he might like to support.

The pavilion is the first building to be registered by Merton Council as an asset of community value and it should be treasured.

We are working hard with Merton Council to achieve this with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund.

As owner of the Cricket Pavilion Mr Baig has never provided the cricket club with a proper lease.

Does he prefer to keep the home of the oldest cricket ground in the world in constant uncertainty about its future?

Mr Baig, we would love to talk. Give us a call. You say you want to and you know where we are.

John Strover, Chair, Mitcham Cricket Green Community & Heritage

Peter White-Young, Chair, Mitcham Cricket Club

St Peter & Paul Catholic Church planning application for a parish hall

Burn Bullock on national Heritage at Risk Register

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The Burn Bullock has been added to the national Heritage at Risk Register.

This is maintained by English Heritage and records the listed historic buildings and structures across England which are most at risk from being lost or irrevocably damaged.

It is pleasing that the community campaign to save this much loved building from neglect has won national recognition but salutary to consider the challenge of putting things right.

Mitcham Cricket Green Community & Heritage is continuing to campaign to save the Burn Bullock and secure the future of the historic cricket pavilion. Join up if you want to get involved.

The Burn Bullock’s entry on the Heritage at Risk Register is here.

Community wins protection for Mitcham cricket pavilion

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Merton Council has officially recognised the historic Mitcham cricket pavilion as an “asset of community value”. This is in response to our application and it is the first community asset to be recognised in this way anywhere in Merton. Over 1,000 buildings, open spaces, pubs and other community assets have been recognised by local authorities across England since the new powers to protect community assets were introduced in 2011.

The cricket pavilion has been at the heart of the local community since it was built in 1904 – supporting cricket on the ground where it has been played continuously longer than anywhere else in the world. The effect of placing it on the statutory register of assets of community value is twofold. First, it gives it an important status as a building which is valued by local people when decisions are made about its future or development in the area. Second, any effort to sell the building would trigger a six month moratorium during which time the community could raise the funds and support needed to take over responsibility for the building.

This recognition is especially important as the cricket pavilion faces an uncertain future. Although locally listed it is under the same ownership as the nearby Burn Bullock. This has fallen on hard times and is subject to enforcement action against illegal car sales and the decay of the listed building. Securing a future for the cricket pavilion is an urgent priority and we will be campaigning hard for it to be put under community management.

We will be looking at other buildings and open spaces which are worthy of similar recognition as community assets. Let us know which you most value in the Cricket Green area.

Free guided walk and tea in the cricket pavilion on 20 September for Open House London

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