Prince of Wales Public House...or just a house? Have your say. On the 9th August there is a planning appeal meeting at the Town Hall at 10.00 which will decide the fate of the Prince of Wales pub…and in fact the fate of many pubs throughout Kensington and Chelsea. Will Ricker, the owner of at least seven restaurants through central London, bought The Prince of Wales pub last year. Soon after purchasing the pub he applied for a change of use from public house to residential claiming he could not make the profits needed to finance his investment. Over 80 letters of objection were received and luckily the Council did listen and refused the application. Ricker now hopes to convince the Planning Inspector that the refusal should be dismissed…and he should be allowed to make the building residential. The Prince of Wales pub was built in 1845. It has traded uninterrupted for over 165 years until Mr Ricker closed it last month. This pub is an important hub of the local community…in fact, all the pubs are important. If this appeal is allowed and the pub turns to houses, every pub in Kensington will be under threat. Many of you cannot make the meeting on the 9t August but you can show the Inspector that you disagree with the loss of our public amenities. Please sign the petition.