Members of the community group nominated the pub as an ACV as part of ongoing attempt to secure the pub’s future and encourage locals to use the pub.
The current tenants were reluctant to speak to the Publican’s Morning Advertiser. However, Josh Clarke from the Friends of the Prince Edward said: “We are delighted with this decision by Hackney Council to recognise the social importance of the Prince Edward. The pub has been here since 1866 and has served generations of Hackney dwellers.
“It's important that this diverse borough retains a rich mix of communal space for neighbours and visitors to socially interact. The south Hackney area has lost many pubs to development in the past few years and we are proud to be standing up for what we have left.”
There has been a long campaign from Hackney residents to save the pub, after owner Sandeep Johal applied for planning permission to turn the pub into private flats. The application was refused by Hackney Council, who ruled that ‘the new building would result in the unacceptable loss of an operational public house which performs an important role providing a valuable amenity as a social and cultural centre for the local community.
CAMRA said they hoped to nominate more of the areas’ pubs as assets of community value. The Prince Edward joins the Chesham Arms as pubs listed by the borough, which recently reopened as ‘an old-fashioned East End boozer’ after a long battle against developers.