Leading south London estate agent KALMARs are selling a former public house site known as The Albion at 20 Albion Street in Rotherhithe with planning consent for 8 new build apartments above a new ground floor/basement wine bar café, underlining the changing drinking habits in the UK.

The freehold site is currently occupied by a redundant 6,501 sq ft pub that has been closed for 10 years. Offers in excess of £1.25 million are being invited, with planning consent to build a contemporary style four-storey mixed-use development providing 8 new sustainable homes within 6,447 sq ft arranged as 3,863 sq ft of accommodation on the first to third floors, above a 2,584 sq ft wine bar or pub on the ground and basement levels.

The redevelopment illustrates a shift in the UK’s social patterns and in particular drinking habits, moving away from old fashioned smoke-filled male-dominated beer-drinking dens, concealed behind frosted glass and curtains, towards a more open, family-friendly ambience of the wine bar/cafe which is a more inclusive and welcoming place. The challenges of COVID-19 and the lockdowns over the last 12 months are creating many changes in our society which are only likely to accelerate this trend.

Property developers are often blamed for the demise of pubs, and no one would deny that they are commercially driven, but that commercialism dictates that they follow the market which, like it or not, has shifted and older style ‘wet’ pubs are just not as popular as they used to be. A recent CNBC report found that demand for pubs had fallen so that a quarter of Britain’s pubs had closed in the last 35 years. This decline has been matched by the increased popularity of cafes and wine bars, more suited to a generation that values inclusivity and healthy living.

The new building’s current design is unashamedly modern, using red-brick and glass, with the ground floor commercial unit offering expanses of floor-to-ceiling glazing providing an open and welcoming environment for customers. The four studio apartments are suitable for contemporary urban living. There are also three one-bed flats and a two-bedroom penthouse apartment on the top (third) floor.

Albion Street, in the days when this was a timber importing dock area, was a vibrant road and home to a market and a range of retail, leisure and specialist shops that meet the needs of the diverse local community. The Norwegian and Finnish churches opposite reflect the riverside area’s Scandinavian connection and the cosmopolitan and maritime history with particularly strong links to London’s community. The London Finnish church and mission was first established in 1882 and it is a Christian, cultural and social meeting place for all Finns in Great Britain or Ireland .

There has been a Norwegian church in London since the late seventeenth century, though its most recent home was consecrated in 1927. It holds a special place in Norwegian hearts as a central point of resistance to Nazi occupation of the country during World War Two. After fleeing to London King Haakon VII regularly made defiant radio broadcasts to his occupied nation from the Albion Street church, which was rewarded with Grade II status in 1947.

London does not have any other Scandinavian centre and Albion Street is host to the very successful Scandi Market twice a year. As other buildings/sites are developed nearby it likely to be further recognised as London’s Scandinavian centre.

Rotherhithe, a Saxon name for ‘Sailor’s Haven’ or ‘Mariners’ Landing Place’, was originally a Saxon fishing village just east of London that became a thriving global Elizabethan shipping centre. The most noteworthy ship to sail out of Rotherhithe was the Mayflower, which famously carried ‘the Pilgrim Fathers’ to found one of the first English settlements in North America in 1620. Its captain, Christopher Jones, is buried nearby in the Rotherhithe parish church. Most of the ancient docks were closed in the 1970s but the redeveloping area has retained many docks, street names and other infrastructure links to its maritime and cosmopolitan character and culture.

Richard Kalmar, Managing Director at KALMARs, says: “As well as providing eight modern sustainable homes, the site will be part of the regeneration of this ‘happening’ area, where British Land and Grosvenor are starting work on transformational major developments. The ground floor use will appeal to the young richly diverse community that is now settled there, providing a family-orientated café/bar culture. Home entertainment is no substitute for the breaking of bread together that is the basis of our civilisation. Once COVID-19 is over, people will still want to relax and go out to meet each other in a modern welcoming environment.”