The Alchemist, Battersea

The Alchemist is a former pub at 225 St John's Hill, Battersea, London, that was controversially demolished in May 2015 after over 100 years in business.^[1]

It was originally called The Fishmongers' Arms,^[1] and was built in 1854.^[2]

Planning permission was granted in 2011 for six flats above the existing pub. The pub closed in 2013, when construction started in 2015 the existing structure was found unsafe and demolished with the intention to rebuild a facsimile which is what stands today. Wandsworth Council regarded the demolition as having taken place without planning permission to demolish, and called it a "very serious breach" of council rules, and "unjustified".^[1] The council ordered developer Udhyam Amim to rebuild the pub and restore it to its appearance prior to demolition, albeit that this was the stated intention.^[3]

The demolition was compared to that of the Carlton Tavern in Kilburn, north London, which was demolished in April the same year.^[1] The Carlton Tavern was subsequently rebuilt and re-opened following a community campaign and planning appeals.^[4]

In July 2018 the building was restored and the commercial ground floor provides community nursery facilities.^[5] In October that year its owners applied for planning permission to make the building into a shop, office or food establishment, but planners rejected the application, ruling that the change of use would "result in the loss of a public house of historic and community value".^[6] This rejection was later appealed and the building's classification was changed to D2, "assembly and leisure".^[7]