Campaign to 'Save the Park Tavern' Gains Support
Popular tenant of the Southfields pub has been asked to leave
Picture: The Park Tavern on Merton Road
|
July 23, 2026
Regulars at a Southfields pub have launched an urgent campaign to save it after the current management were told they must vacate the premises by 5 August.
The Park Tavern, on Merton Road, has become a thriving neighbourhood hub in recent years, with the present team at MFM Pub Group Ltd saying it has invested around £150,000 to restore the historic building.
It is claimed that this work was undertaken after they were given assurances that their lease renewal would go ahead. Instead, Amir, who has been running the pub for 18 months, has been informed by the freeholder, Star Pubs — part of Heineken UK — that he must leave. Star Pubs did not respond to a request for comment.
From weekly pub quizzes and sports screenings, to free activities for local children and parents, the Park Tavern has made itself a popular venue with members of the local community .
Residents say the decision has left them shocked and frustrated, particularly after the management alleged that Star Pubs had previously blocked beer orders and later fined them for sourcing stock elsewhere. The situation has drawn political attention, with East Putney councillors and Putney MP Fleur Anderson backing calls for the management to remain in place.
Councillor Jasmin Glynne said the pub had become “one of the most beloved spots in this part of Putney,” adding that locals had watched the team “transform it into a thriving, welcoming local.” She urged Star Pubs to “listen to the community and keep the current management in place.”
Fleur Anderson MP has written to the Pub Code Adjudicator requesting an investigation into the circumstances of the dispute. She said she had “serious concerns about the way the current management has been treated” and stood with residents who want the pub to remain under its present operators.
A public meeting will take place at The Park Tavern on Friday 24 July from 5pm to 6pm, giving residents the chance to hear more about the campaign and discuss next steps. Supporters are also encouraging people to sign the petition calling on Star Pubs to reverse its decision and secure the pub’s future under its current team.
The petition, titled Save the Park Tavern, SW18, is available on Change.org. Over 600 people have signed it at the time of writing.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |