Mason's Arms as it was (Picture: pubwiki.co.uk)
As pictured by the applicant in 2025 after closure
Latest proposal by the applicant
Kensal Green has another development battle underway following that over the Harriet Tubman community centre in Hazel Road. This time it is over the nearby Victorian Mason's Arms that closed down in 2024.
The application is for:
Demolition of existing public house and construction of new six-storey building comprising public house (Sui Generis) on ground floor and 26 residential units (Use Class C3) on upper floors, cycle parking, private amenity space, refuse and recycling stores and servicing as well as the relocation of the listed trough and repair of the listed boundary wall. 665 Harrow Road, London, NW10 5NU
The proposal that has no affordable housing after a viability assessment is still open for community consultation LINK:
This proposal has the support of the Kensal Triangle Residents' Association:
After careful consideration Kensal Triangle Resident's Association (KTRA) would like to conditionally support the LJ Developments scheme for the former Masons Arms public house Development, Harrow Road.
After extensive discussion with our members and having studied the proposed scheme, we would like to be included in the final plans, as the heritage aspect of this development is important to the wider community.
'Creating Heritage for the Future'
Not only will the new building make this part of the Harrow Road more desirable, but the developers' intention to improve the Hazel Road open space will enhance this community asset.
Having met with the developers, we believe their intentions are well placed.Despite the inevitable disruption the demolition and rebuilding will cause, we believe this project to be sound.
It was with a heavy heart that we came to this conclusion, as a great many of our members used the the Masons Arms, but feel creating heritage for the future is the way forward.
It also creates much-needed new housing, and the scheme looks very well thought out.
The old building is in such a poor state was also noted, as there was little point in renovating such a compromised older space.
The fact that the developer seeks to have a pub/restaurant/amenities space on the ground floor also adds to the appeal of the scheme.
The proposed demolition of the original Victorian building is opposed by CAMRA:
Objection from Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) North London branch
Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) North London branch strongly object to the planning application to demolish the Masons Arms public house, Kensal Green NW10. The Masons Arms is an historic public house that has served the Kensal Green community for well over a century. Its long-standing presence, architectural character, and relationship with nearby heritage assets, including the Grade II listed horse trough and the Grade I listed Kensal Green Cemetery wall, give it clear historic and townscape value. Although the building itself is not listed, national planning policy recognises that non-designated heritage assets can still hold local historic significance, and their loss must be taken into account in the planning balance.
The proposed pub area is much smaller, at 256.5 sq m, compared with 630 sq m in the current public house, resulting in a clear reduction in community floorspace, which is a material planning consideration. This is not an equivalent replacement and therefore conflicts with both the London Plan Policy HC7 and Brent Local Plan Policy DMP21, which requires that any redevelopment of a public house must provide a facility of comparable or improved size, layout. The proposed development would result in the unacceptable and unjustified loss of a public house that has community value and which contributes to the economy and in particular the nighttime economy of the borough.
The proposed six storey development is excessively bulky and out of scale with the surrounding streetscape, its height, massing, and overall visual dominance would create an overbearing presence that disrupts the established character of the area. This is a material planning consideration, as national policy, the London Plan, and Brent's Local Plan all require new development to respect local context, respond positively to existing townscape, and avoid harm to the character and appearance of the area.
The application removes the existing function room, a space that has historically supported community meetings, funeral wakes, weddings, birthdays, and local group activities. Its loss would permanently diminish the pub's role as a multi functional community venue, further undermining the policy requirement to retain or enhance community value.
No evidence has been provided to demonstrate that the existing pub is unviable or that it has been properly marketed, as required by Brent's planning policies. Without such evidence, the demolition, or change of use of the Masons Arms cannot be justified. The proposal therefore fails to meet the tests set out in national policy, the London Plan, and Brent's Local Plan for the protection of public houses. The lost of pub's garden, which was sold off and permission granted for change of use, means having a function room will be important to aid the long term viability of the pub.
CAMRA also notes the frequent risk that promised replacement pubs are delayed or never delivered once residential units are occupied. To prevent this outcome, and to ensure compliance with policy, it is essential that if permission is granted, Brent Council imposes a condition requiring that the new public house is fully fitted out, let to an operator, and open for trading before any residential units are occupied. Without such a condition, the community asset is at risk of being lost in practice even if nominally replaced on paper.
The proposed development would harm the setting of the Grade I listed Kensal Green Cemetery boundary wall, which runs directly behind the site. As a Grade I listed structure, it is of exceptional national importance, and national planning policy requires that great weight be given to its conservation. The existing Masons Arms forms part of the traditional low rise townscape that frames and supports the historic character of the cemetery wall. Replacing it with a six storey building would introduce an intrusive and disproportionate mass that would dominate views, disrupt the historic scale of the street, and erode the legibility of the cemetery wall as a heritage asset. The development would harm the setting of the Grade II listed horse trough located immediately outside the Masons Arms. This heritage asset derives its significance not only from its physical form but from its historic relationship with the surrounding streetscape and long established public house. Demolishing the existing building and replacing it with a six storey structure would fundamentally alter the scale, character, and visual context of the trough, diminishing its historic setting and eroding its legibility as part of the area's traditional streetscene. This impact is a material planning consideration and is contrary to national policy on heritage protection, which requires great weight to be given to the conservation of designated heritage assets and their settings. If permission is granted, the developer should submit a plan for storage of the Grade II listed horse trough, so it does not get damaged during redevelopment of the site, the Brent Conservation Officer should oversee the plans for the trough, to endure it is not harmed by the new development. Original bricks should be used where possible in the repair of the listed boundary way, overseen by the Brent Conservation Officer.
A further material planning consideration is the significantly higher carbon footprint of demolition compared with retrofitting. National planning policy requires decision makers to support development that moves towards a low carbon future and to give substantial weight to reducing embodied carbon. Demolishing the existing Masons Arms and constructing a new six storey building would generate a far greater volume of embodied carbon than refurbishing and upgrading the existing structure. Brent Council's own climate emergency commitments, all of which expect applicants to demonstrate that demolition is the least carbon option. No such justification has been provided, and the application fails to show that demolition is necessary or environmentally responsible.
The proposal is contrary to National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which recognises public houses as essential community facilities and expects local authorities to guard against their unnecessary loss. It is also contrary to London Plan 2021 Policy HC7, which requires boroughs to protect public houses and resist proposals that would lead to the loss of their community, cultural, or economic value.
For these reasons, CAMRA North London Branch objects to the application and urges Brent Council to refuse planning permission
Because of its history of hosting drinks after Kensal Green Cemetery funerals, the comments come from further afield than usual:
Firstly I know I am not a local to The Masons Arms and this objection maybe sentimental but The Masons has been part of my family history since before WW2. My family grew up in Earlsmead Rd and we were a very big family. 28 members lived in five different houses and in Greyhound rd. My uncle would play the piano in the pub, my nan played the accordion and was the cleaner for the pub. In the 60's when I would visit my nan we would go to the Masons Arms and it was always a pub for the family to meet up. Fifty years later we still visit as a family and have get togethers even for my dad's 85th birthday. It is a special place where family can meet as well as visit passed family members in the cemetery.
I am a huge history buff and to find out that the horse trough was the first in London proves how important the area has been for many years. The cemetery is one of the finest Victorian Great 7 and people who visit for funerals often need somewhere to stop for refreshments after. I know many pubs are being closed but there is so much more that can be done to help the pub survive. Our local pub has different music nights, art classes, sip and paint, craft afternoons and so much more. It should be a community pub and not be turned into flats. The whole atmosphere will change in the area as there are no other pubs close by. It was said that it had encouraged anti social behaviour but whilst the pub is boarded up it will only get worse. I was there one day when the garden was open which was beautiful and there was a regular barbecue. Having the garden reopened will encourage family visits.
I can see along the Harrow Rd there are many apartments which take away the community feel to Kensal Green. I am absolutely sure that many people will object to the Mason's being demolished. Why in this country do we rush to remove our architectural heritage. The coffin carrier is also a piece of architectural heritage. Do not destroy the pub. Please!
However, some locals support the application:
I strongly support this application. I have lived here for 26 years and often enjoyed the Masons Arms as a local pub. However, since the garden closed, the pub has struggled to be viable.
For the past few years, the Masons has been empty most days, apart from post-funeral gatherings, which became increasingly rare. It now stands derelict and is a fire hazard, attracting antisocial behaviour.
Just 500 metres down the road, the William IV pub has also closed, which also struggled with footfall over the past years, despite being refurbished into a pub/hotel and imaginative party nights, pub quizzes and excellent food. All of which suggests to me that the footfall along this part of the Harrow Road is not sufficient to support one, let alone two, large local pubs.
The need for affordable housing in this area far outweighs the protection of a derelict, unusable pub building, which cannot be financially viable. What's the point of having a beautifully refurbished Victorian pub if there are no young people who can afford to live in the local area to populate it?
I think the proposed design, which mirrors the Holland & Holland factory almost opposite, is a very clever method of linking the new building with the existing environment. The size and composition of the frontage is in keeping with the H&H building, also a well-respected landmark of Kensal Green.
The local environment will also benefit from the redevelopment of the park and playground opposite the Mason's Arms, which will again reduce antisocial behaviour and result in a leisure space that the local community can enjoy.
I strongly support this proposal and urge Brent Planning to approve this application to benefit the local area and its citizens.
Other locals are opposed:
As a resident of the Kensal area for 7 years I strongly object to the plans to demolish the Masons Arms. So many of the historic buildings in this area - such as many pubs, the Manor House and Lodge, Tavistock House, the stonemasons workshops, etc - have now gone to be replaced with ugly blocks of flats and very little of the original 'Kensal Green' remains.
Of course, I recognise that new homes are needed in London but why does it always come with the destruction of our history? Ideally, it would remain a pub but if that is really not viable, then why not retain and convert the existing building into flats? I am sure not everyone wants to live in a boring new-build and would jump at the chance to live somewhere with a bit of history and character.
Also as a member of the Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery, I know that the pub has many connections to the cemetery, and that unique history would be lost if the pub was demolished. I also fear the impact of the 6 storey block looming over the cemetery - currently with another threat of a development to the south of the cemetery.
The Masons Arms is a beautiful, historic building which still retains many of its Victorian interiors and fittings - and the destruction of it would be a terrible loss to the local community. I also sincerely request that whatever happens, if the developers are not going to keep/use the unique wooden coffin display case, that they donate it to either the Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery or the General Cemetery Company.
I ask you to reconsider this development and the wanton destruction of yet another piece of the last remnants of our local history.
I strongly object to application 26/0807 for the demolition of the Masons Arms public house and construction of the proposed six-storey development at 665 Harrow Road.
With Harriet Tubman House in Hazel Road also under threat, it would be a profound loss for Kensal Green to lose two significant Victorian landmark buildings simultaneously. The Masons Arms is an important historic public house dating from before 1865, making it one of the oldest surviving buildings in Kensal Green, with strong historical connections to the world-famous Grade I listed Kensal Green Cemetery immediately behind it.
Historically, the pub provided accommodation for stone masons and craftsmen from across Europe employed at the cemetery during the nineteenth century. The grade II listed horse trough was used by dray-horses until the 1930s and perhaps even later. The building therefore forms part of the social and architectural history of Kensal Green and the Harrow Road corridor.
Its distinctive Dutch-style gable is one of the most recognisable architectural features along the seven-mile stretch of Harrow Road between Paddington and Harrow-on-the-Hill, giving the building considerable local landmark value and contributing positively to the character of the streetscape. It is an oversight that it was never listed along with the Grade I cemetery behind it.
The pub also retains rare and unusual historic interior features, including a unique coffin stand associated with funeral wakes connected to the cemetery, where coffins were historically passed through a hatch into the bar area. These features form part of the cultural and historic significance of the building and should not be lost.
The current situation presents residents with a false binary choice between a neglected, boarded-up building and total demolition. The present condition of the property should not be used to justify the destruction of a historic local landmark, particularly when the deterioration appears to have been allowed, and the developers have made no attempt to remove the graffiti despite requests from residents.
With imagination and sensitive design, the building could be successfully repurposed to accommodate residential units while retaining the elegant and historically important Victorian façade and core structure, as has already been achieved with other historic public houses along Harrow Road, including the former College Park Hotel at 873 Harrow Road and the former Flora public house at 525 Harrow Road.
It is particularly disappointing that the scheme proposes demolishing the existing historic public house only to incorporate a replacement bar within the new development. A more sensitive and sustainable approach would be to retain and incorporate the original Victorian ground-floor public house itself, preserving an increasingly rare type of traditional London pub interior that future generations are likely to value even more highly, and one that Sir Paul McCartney chose to use when seeking a traditional London pub of character.
The proposed six-storey building would also be excessively tall and wide, and overbearing in this location. At approximately one-and-a-half storeys higher than the adjoining hostel building, the development would appear architecturally dominant and visually jarring within a predominantly low-rise section of Harrow Road, and overshadow Hazel Road Open Space and the gardens on the South side of Hazel Road.
The scale and massing of the proposal would harm the character of Kensal Green and Kensal Rise, creating an over-developed and overly urban appearance inconsistent with the existing townscape. The development would additionally reduce sunlight and outlook to Hazel Road Open Space and to the rear gardens of properties on the south side of Hazel Road, adversely affecting residential amenity.
For these reasons, including the substantial heritage loss, inappropriate scale and massing, and harmful impact on local character and amenity, I respectfully urge Brent Council to refuse this application and instead encourage a scheme that retains and sensitively repurposes this important historic building.
For balance I include a submission in favour by a young local but do follow the LINK and review all the comments.
I strongly support this development.
This development brings the potential for a new, functioning pub/bar and deli, which the local community would appreciate. The desire for the existing (and now derelict) Masons Arms pub to reopen underscores the demand and therefore, I believe, the future commercial success of the new Masons Arms. As a young person living locally, I am very keen for a local pub to not just operate but to thrive too.
The current state of the Masons Arms has led to squatters, fly tipped rubbish and fires being lit. This is not conducive to Kensal Green being a save and liveable area. The inside of the building, I have been told, has several severe structural defects which would render the renovation of the existing building unviable.
There is not enough housing stock at a national level, and this area is no exception. The flats the development will bring will mean more people can make Kensal Green their home and subsequently stimulate the local economy with additional disposable income. Local businesses are suffering from a lack of footfall on Harrow Road and I believe this would go a long way to rectifying that.
I believe that the developers have listened to local concerns and the amended planning application (regarding the historic trough, height of the building, etc) reflects this.
The regeneration of the Hazel Road green space is sorely needed, and will allow, in particular, women and families in the area to feel safer at night and enjoy the space more during the day.
I encourage the council to approve the application and allow the project to proceed.
The Victorian interior of the pub was valued by many customers but I have not been able to take any photographs inside the boarded up building but go to this London CAMRA website for an appreciation and pictures. LINK
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