I would fundamentally oppose any application for a licence to re-open the Albany Arms. As I am cited in this article from the Richmond and Twickenham Times in 2010: http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/5058022._Disgraceful__pub_to_keep_its_doors_open/ Any Google search regarding the Albany Arms will throw up other instances. It is now more than 22 years that I have lived close to this pub, and in that time between 1995 up until it finally closed it's doors in 2012 there had been at least seven landlords during those 17 years. That's an average of one every 2 years. Each one may have had good intentions, but all failed and brought the pub down to a level which was a blight. Local residents were in despair, as were the police and the council. The litany of problems is long. Local residents suffered much. Children and their parents walking past from the local school at 15.30 were confronted by anti-social drunks hanging around outside - which became worse after the smoking ban. The noise reached on some nights at midnight and the early hours by successive landlords recorded decibels so extreme that the following day a noise abatement notice was served instigating a £20,000 fine. Upon receipt the then landlord did an overnight flit. That was before the next chap who set up an illegal strip joint - with bouncers outside and blackened windows. One must ask the question why it's reputation was so bad, and why successive landlords had to resort to encouraging such appalling clientèle and behaviour? Since it's closure the demography of Brentford has changed (not necessarily for the better) with rampant new development and new residents and it's possible that a new Albany Arms will be different and cater for them. Yet, it's worth noting the Albany Spice which opened less than two years ago on Albany Parade, shortly afterwards ceased opening at lunchtime between Monday and Thursday because there was insufficient business. They can be credited for affecting the removal to a degree of a hard core bunch of undesirables which would congregate regularly drinking on the public benches. I would worry that the reopening of the Albany Arms will attract those very people or their associates which it's taken so long to remove. Furthermore, the Albany Arms benefited from football fans, and on many occasions was the scene of some very bad related hooliganism. The ground is moving to a site in Lionel Road and work is expected to commence on the stadium next year. This will invariably take away any business from the Albany Arms should it ever re-open. Any new landlord would have a major challenge to restore this pub to successful glory. I would support a visionary who could turn it around to be a respectable and decent establishment - conducive and harmonious within the neighbourhood - but experience suggests otherwise. Incidentally a pre-planning application was made to the council about a year ago to convert it into 6 flats. I don't know what became of that - or whether it is still in progress. One more thing - I do not recognise at all the negative picture that Jacob James has painted. It is offensive, provocative and totally unjustified.

Entire Thread

Topic	Date Posted	Posted By
Albany Arms & Area	29/09/17 18:45:00	Peter Brew
Re:Albany Arms & Area	30/09/17 13:51:00	Barbara Dudley
Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	01/10/17 09:40:00	David Squire
Re:Albany Arms & Area	01/10/17 12:30:00	Martin Case
Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	02/10/17 10:42:00	Jacob James
Re:Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	02/10/17 21:12:00	Peter Brew
Re:Re:Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	03/10/17 11:09:00	Jacob James
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	03/10/17 18:31:00	Paul Brownlee
Re:Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	02/10/17 21:13:00	Reg Ghosh
Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	02/10/17 21:32:00	Peter Brew
Re:Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	02/10/17 21:43:00	Nick Fichte
Re:Re:Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	03/10/17 20:42:00	Claire Peleschka
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	03/10/17 21:49:00	Jacob James
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	04/10/17 07:22:00	Jim Linwood
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	13/10/17 12:57:00	Barbara Dudley
Re:Re:Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	04/10/17 09:45:00	Raymond Havelock
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	04/10/17 12:38:00	Guy Lambert
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	04/10/17 16:06:00	Peter Brew
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	04/10/17 16:28:00	Paul Scullion
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	04/10/17 19:05:00	Jennifer Selig
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	05/10/17 14:46:00	Paul Brownlee
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	14/10/17 10:15:00	Peter Brew
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	14/10/17 11:01:00	Raymond Havelock
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Albany Arms & Area	15/10/17 18:10:00	Raki Smith

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