A Development Application (DA) has been lodged by Weir Phillips Heritage on behalf of Bowie Ferris Investments for the Village Inn, proposing a change from licensed premises to retail and office space.
We categorically object to this submission and request.
Reasons for Objection
- The Village Inn (formerly Rose and Crown) has operated successfully and responsibly as a hotel since 1890. Despite demographic shifts, it has adapted to changes in the local and wider Sydney community. The pub serves as a meeting place, a tourist destination, and a family-friendly venue.
- The hotel attracts a diverse clientele, including university students, locals, visitors, families, people attending sporting venues, single individuals, and couples of all backgrounds.
- We reject the unsupported argument in the Weir Phillips Heritage submission that suggests the hotel is redundant because Paddington is no longer a working-class area. This notion promotes elitism and contributes to further societal division. It's naive to believe that only "working-class" people socialize and drink at pubs.
- The hotel attracts individuals to the area, contributing to its vibrancy and diversity without negative impacts. This is accomplished in harmony with the surrounding residential buildings and retail operations.
- Heritage goes beyond buildings; it's about the interaction of people and communities. Paddington's thriving culture requires diverse amenities, a need that the Village Inn fulfills.
- With a proposed change of use, the council must consider how the area's atmosphere will be impacted. We argue that this change could lead to fewer people visiting this part of Paddington, negatively affecting the local ambiance.
- The proposal exacerbates the current oversupply of retail property and office space. The occupancy rate in Paddington is approximately 65 to 70 percent, and areas like Oxford Street, William Street, and Darlinghurst already have an abundance of vacant shops and offices.
- Bowie Ferris Investments, an interstate investment company with no community ties, recently purchased the property. They bought it based on its financial performance as a hotel and are now seeking to generate windfall returns through change of use.
Paddington and Darlinghurst have already lost numerous unique establishments and hotels. We strongly believe that the Village Inn should not be added to this list.
