Two floors above The Boleyn Tavern were converted into flats without planning permission over five years ago, reports Nick Clark, Local Democracy Reporter

The top two floors above The Boleyn Tavern can be used as flats, Newham Council has agreed.

The two floors were converted into flats without planning permission between 2020 and 2021. Before that, they were used as a hostel, also without planning permission.

Council planning officers agreed to approve the conversion as a “positive contribution to the housing stock” that would not harm “the viability and operations of the existing public house”.

Remarkable Pubs Ltd, which owns The Boleyn in Barking Road, applied for planning permission for the flats in September last year.

A planning officers’ report said the top two floors of the pub were actually converted into flats between January 2020 and March 2021.

Before that, the floors were a 46-bed hostel. This also operated without planning permission since at least December 2012 until 2018, after the council opened an enforcement investigation.

Remarkable Pubs, which bought The Boleyn in May 2018, got planning permission to keep the hostel in December that year. However, planning officers say this was never put to use.

Floors one, two and three were all permitted to be used as staff and letting accommodation for the pub.

However, another council enforcement investigation in 2021 found the top two floors would need planning permission to be divided into flats, according to council officers.

Plans submitted to the council last September say there are four flats – two with one bedrooms, and two with two bedrooms.

The first floor will continue to be used as staff accommodation.

Council planning officers approved the conversion last Friday (17th).

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