A blaze broke out at a derelict Croydon pub on Tuesday afternoon, just six months after a previous “suspicious” fire. Around 25 firefighters were called to tackle the fire at the former Windmill pub on Croydon’s St James’s Road, which left part of the ground floor damaged.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, said the London Fire Brigade. Five construction workers left the pub before firefighters arrived, a spokesperson said.
The fire was reported at around 1.45pm and was under control by 2.38pm. It comes just six months after police launched a probe into a “suspicious” blaze at the premises on August 31, alongside a simultaneous fire at the nearby former Drum and Monkey pub on Gloucester Road. There were no reports of injuries during that incident.
The Met Police has been contacted for an update.
According to documents seen by the Standard, planning permission was refused in January 2024 to demolish the Windmill pub and turn it into flats. Council officials knocked back a plan to turn the former boozer into 23 flats, saying a replacement cafe at the ground floor would not mitigate “the loss of a public house”.
In filings to the council, IGC land Holdings Limited, which owns The Windmill, said the site had “fallen into a state of extreme dilapidation,” and has “suffered from trespassing and squatters”. August’s fire had caused “significant damage to the existing roof and second floor,” it said.
The nearby Drum and Monkey was bought by Epsilon Developments Limited in July 2020 for £525,000. Residents had previously raised concerns about squatters at both sites, with Croydon MP Sarah Jones previously voicing alarm at “illegal activity” taking place at the disused Windmill.
Croydon Council has also been contacted for comment.
