Plans to overhaul famed London Aussie pub months after squatters thrown out

A much-loved London bar that was once a favourite destination for Aussie expats and backpackers may soon get another lease of life after plans were submitted to revive the venue.

The Redback in Fulham opened in 2019 and was famed for its raucous party atmosphere, hosting Imperial College’s sports teams among other international visitors.

But the venue unexpectedly shut its doors just five years later when operator RedCat Leased Pubs Limited (RCLP) went into administration. The Redback later became overrun with squatters, who held unlicensed music events before being cleared out by police.

Since then, The Redback has been conspicuously quiet. Its lease is currently being marketed by real estate firm Colliers, complete with a late-night licence, and interest has also been stirred by a planning application submitted by a Mr K El Jalek.

The application requests permission to erect an additional floor at roof level, as well as to add rear extensions at the first and second floors, and to enlarge the existing basement in order to “provide function rooms and, in the case of the basement, ancillary facilities”.

Earlier this year, Mr Jalek successfully submitted a licensing application to be the official premises supervisor for The Redback, and he is also listed on Companies House as the sole director of 490-492 Fulham Road Ltd, the address of The Redback.

Charlotte Dexter, of campaign group FulhamTogether, says she hopes the planning application will lead to an “imaginative new concept” for the building.

She said: “I would love to see it become a distinctive, contemporary pub with rooms [like] an inviting cocktail bar and social space open to the public at street level, with a small clutch of boldly designed boutique guest rooms above.

The Redback was popular with visitors from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa

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“Our best evidence-based estimate is that well over 1,500 visitors sleep in Fulham’s hotels and serviced accommodation on an average night... There is a real opportunity to serve discerning, well-heeled visitors choosing historic, distinctive and exceptionally well-connected Fulham as their base for exploring London.

“Such a new hospitality anchor for Fulham Broadway would preserve the building’s essential role as a public house while complementing both the planned restoration of Fulham Town Hall and the Wetherspoon now housed within the Grade II-listed former Fulham Broadway Underground Station entrance and ticket hall.

“Most importantly for neighbouring residents, it could bring this prominent building back to life without recreating the late-night disruption that later required major police intervention and a magistrates’ closure order at the premises.”

Another local, who did not wish to give their name, said: “Residents would like to see this premises, which is a much-loved local landmark, brought back to life as a more upmarket pub where we could spend many an hour.”

However, the resident added a note of caution, saying: “We don’t understand the need to double its size, which doesn’t make financial sense.”

Plans for a gambling site “would not be well received by locals” the local added, with a pub needed on this particular stretch of Fulham Road.

A consultation on the planning application closed on September 16. As council officers assess the submission and the feedback from locals, The Redback may be about to undergo its latest reinvention, with its future becoming clear very soon.