A St. John's Wood pub, formerly known as Monak, is poised for a comeback after its licence was revoked in September 2023 following a number of serious incidents at the venue. Calaviation Limited has applied for a new premises licence to operate a family friendly neighbourhood pub
at 63 Abbey Road, under the name The Salt House.
The Westminster Council Licensing Sub-Committee (1) convened on 14 August 2025, to consider the application. The committee, including Councillor Aziz Toki (Chair of Licensing), Councillor Patrick Lilley (Deputy Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Lead Member for Soho and LGBTQ+ Champion), and Councillor Karen Scarborough, reviewed the plans for the premises, which aim to restore it to a traditional public house with a significant food offering. Calaviation Limited described their plans for the premises in their application:
The Salt House in St. John's Wood will be undergoing a loving restoration to turn it back into a traditional public house including a significant food offering - think seasonal roast dinners, proper pies, and comforting food, done well. The customer area of the pub is located on the ground floor (see plans for details). The front part of the pub includes a bar area with ample seating. The rear area will be set up for dining. Customer toilets are located at basement level.
The pub also benefits from a privately owned external terrace which will be laid out to tables and chairs. The terrace will be operational until 22:30 daily after which time use of the furniture will be prevented.
The Salt House will present a welcoming atmosphere for families in a pub that feels timeless, thoughtfully restored to fit into the rhythm of St. John's Wood.
The application details plans for a ground-floor customer area with a bar and dining space, as well as a privately-owned external terrace operational until 22:30 daily. Calaviation Limited, which also operates The Newman Arms in Fitzrovia and The White Bear in Knutsford, aims to create a welcoming atmosphere for families.
The reports pack indicates that the Metropolitan Police Service initially objected to the application, but withdrew their objection on 5 August 2025, after agreeing to further conditions with the applicant. The agreed conditions appear at appendix 4 of the reports pack. Additionally, the St John's Wood Society withdrew their objection on 4 August 2025, following mediation and the acceptance of proposed conditions. The conditions included:
- A direct telephone number for the manager at the premises shall be publicly available.
- The manager of the premises is to hold a meeting with local residents and the St John's Wood Society every six months to review any issues arising.
- Condition 14 to be amended to:
All outside tables and chairs shall be rendered unusable by 22:00 hours each day
. - No recorded music, live music, radio, television or other form of noise-producing device or noise producing activity or entertainment shall be permitted in the outside area.
Several other persons submitted representations regarding the application, with three in support and four raising objections. The four objectors raised concerns including:
- Restrict closing hours to 22:00, including no outdoor serving past this time.
- Restrict alcohol consumption to indoors only after 20:00.
- Keep all outside space clear and unobstructed-no permanent or semi-permanent boundaries: properly moveable planters are acceptable. No raising of the outdoor patio.
- All cleaning of the external area and tidying of chairs, planters, and other moveable items to be completed by 22:30.
- Restrict rubbish collection to between 08:00 and 22:00 Monday to Friday, and 08:30 to 22:30 on Saturdays and Sundays.
- Actively manage anti-social behaviour (ASB), ensuring that patrons do not drink, eat, or leave containers on the pavements or surrounding public space.
- Implement noise control by limiting the number of clients outside and requiring staff to monitor and manage outdoor noise levels.
- No shisha supplying or smoking is to be permitted.
- Awnings or parasols must be carefully chosen to avoid semi-permanent fixtures or obstructive installations, as seen previously.
- The Exhaust Fan sometimes runs all night when the premises is closed. It is extremely noisy and the thermostat has been blamed for the clicking on and off which sounds like you're sleeping on a runway at Heathrow. This and any extractors need to be switched off between 11pm and 10am.
- The clearing up and emptying of bottles at the back yard after closing 11pm onwards. The noise of the clicking bottles, loud conversations of the staff and food waste not properly covered, so flies and smells then pour into the adjacent buildings and mews. This needs to stop and be done in the daytime, also with bins covered and bottles/collections.
- Patrons - We had some persistent patrons who upon leaving the premises (when there are adequate WC facilities in the basement) - insist on urinating outside the buildings/ . It would be prudent if the management would have signage to advise their clientele to respectfully leave the premises quietly and not engage in anti social behaviour.
To address the resident's concerns about noise from the exhaust fan and waste collection, condition 21 states: No noise generated on the Premises, or by its associated plant or equipment, shall emanate from the Premises nor vibration be transmitted through the structure of the premises which gives rise to a nuisance.
Condition 27 states: No waste or recyclable materials, including bottles, shall be moved, removed from or placed in outside areas between 23:00 hours and 08:00 hours on the following day.
Condition 29 states: No collections of waste or recycling materials (including bottles) from the Premises shall take place between 23:00 and 08:00 hours on the following day with the exception of Westminster City Council's own collection services.
The sub-committee considered the City of Westminster Statement of Licensing Policy, effective from October 2021, including Policy HRS1 and Policy PB1. Policy HRS1 states that applications within the core hours set out in the policy will generally be granted, subject to not being contrary to other policies in the statement. Policy PB1 states that applications outside the West End Cumulative Zone will generally be granted subject to meeting the requirements of policies CD1, PS1, PN1 and CH1, and the hours for licensable activities being within the council's Core Hours Policy HRS1.
The agenda also noted the council's duty to consider its public sector equality duty under the Equality Act 2010, ensuring due regard to eliminating discrimination, advancing equality of opportunity, and fostering good relations.
