The Fountain in New Malden has announced it will close on June 10, in the middle of a planning application being considered by Kingston Council.

Pub operator Greene King has reached the end of its 20-year lease of the pub in Malden Road, and is not renewing it, hence the closure.

A manager at The Fountain was unavailable for comment.

In January, a planning application was submitted to build 43 flats and a café where the pub car park exists now, and “restore the original late-nineteenth century building” by demolishing twentieth-century additions.

Owner of the pub site Gracilis Ltd argued in its application that restoring the old pub, would “ensure its longevity within the local community”.

Kingston and Leatherhead Camra, which promotes the role of pubs in society, identified about two-thirds of the Fountain’s ground floorspace available to punters would be lost, as well as the kitchen area.

And the loss of the car park would be a blow to community groups that use it, such as the New Malden Farmers Market and Korean Festival.

Pub protection co-ordinator Chris Miller said: “All of that makes the pub very much less saleable and very much less valuable as a community asset. We’ve been opposing the development.”

The application is likely to be considered by councillors at a committee soon.