A wealthy property developer who “vandalised” an historic Victorian pub has appeared in court.
Charlie Southall, 46, is accused of failing to restore the distinctive green glaze tiles on the 160-year-old Montreal Arms, in Brighton.
Brighton and Hove City Council ordered the property developer to fix the damage caused when he employed a team of builders to smash off scores of locally listed tiles in April 2022.
The council issued an emergency stop order to prevent further damage to the property.
Council bosses then hit Southall with an enforcement notice and ordered him to replace or reinstate all the tiles to the original condition.
Southall lodged an appeal against the order which was dismissed and he was given a final deadline to restore the tiles of Wednesday 17 July 2024 – but no work has taken place.
Now a year after the deadline passed, he has been summonsed to court charged with a breach of the enforcement notice.
Appearing at Brighton Magistrates’ Court today (Monday 21 July) Southall applied for an adjournment saying he that had not been given enough time to consider the legal papers.
He said that he was a parent with a teenage daughter and had been too busy dealing with the end of term to study the paperwork.
He was granted an adjournment until next month and is set to go on trial for the alleged enforcement notice breach later this year.
The case dates back to 2022 when Southall, who also runs Dragonfly Digital Video Services, purchased the pub for £450,000 following its closure during lockdown.
He offered to house Ukrainians refugees in the property but backtracked after residents questioned his motives when he asked them to help contribute to the costs by launching an £85,000 fundraiser.
The developer then allegedly hired a group of friends who used power drills to hack off the glazed green tiles from the locally listed pub.
The pub was built during a boom period of Victoria construction in Brighton in the 1860s and was the centre of a bustling community.
The tiles date from around 1927 when work was carried out after the merger of the Portsmouth United brewery and Brighton’s Rock brewery.
I have a teenage daughter so didn’t have time to read the papers. Ok then, why don’t you take another month. lol.
It’s definitely just a token gesture of a delay, and after that, there’s likely no further excuses tolerated. He’s also just increased the amount he’ll have to lay in legal costs for a second date, so it’s good to note that Charlie continues to make terrible choices in life.
That’s a very good point, he will have to cover the legal fees of the council. Equally the courts take a very dim view on people who procrastinate or agitate the process.
Not sure what he’s trying to prove by letting it go to court but hayho that’s life, he will learn a very expensive lesson shortly.
A clever person would have just put the tiles back on and flogged it at auction, walked away
TROLL
Fine him heavily, get contractors in to do the work and charge him for it all.
My best guess is about a £80k fine, a full restoration order, and cost recovery.
He’s playing the cat and mouse game here, using delaying tactics and hoping the council will just give up.
Let’s hope they don’t.
I lived opposite this pub for 30 years – and I would happily see it as a community asset again.
But that’s not the real issue here. We list buildings of historical interest for a reason, and developers can’t just do what they like – trashing old buildings and ignoring the heritage of the area.
I cannot see the council giving up on this case, especially since they’ve dedicated resource, and it seems like a very clear cut victory, they’ll want to recover their legal costs of having to persue this for so long, I’d imagine.
I’m always for the regeneration of community assets; but after the vandalism Charlie has done to this place, it’d be a long road before it can open its door again, if ever. Nothing stopping the local population potentially forming a society and going ahead with it though!
It’s pretty clear it won’t be a pub again – local pubs in Hanover are finished – and that’s what the greedy developer is banking on.
If he puts back the tiles, then we can all move on.
Well, there are five on Southover street alone, and one, far better than the Montreal, on Albion hill so….
Seize the pub, fine him for the repairs. Then the council gets a free, nicely restored pub and this all goes away.
Wealthy he may be, with his video company in Soho. It wouldn’t surprise me if he ringfenced his other businesses, then personally declared bankruptcy, to avoid financial hits.
Given the council’s own money troubles, I’m sure they won’t want to go easy on this carpetbagger.
He’s already mucked about with the companies house director titles. Court judges will hammer him
I hope he gets completely rinsed. Even if he manages to dodge paying whatever he’s ordered to pay and declares bankruptcy or whatever, his reputation will never recover in Brighton
When one looks at the pre tile removal pictures this place was a dilapidated mess. Suddenly it is a gem and of value to the community. The “community” contributed to its closure due to live music being played. The value to the community would be to see the property converted to housing . As to the green tiles? Aesthetically ugly. (I have no connection to the owner just someone who thinks we should all have a reality check. In the next few years more and more pubs will close down. Are they to be left as rotting shells like the Montreal arms?
Aesthetically subjective, but the tiles were valuable. For me, it is Charlie’s continued flaunting of the rules and law that makes me want to see justice being done. He knew he wasn’t allowed to do what he did, and he did it anyway, potentially to make a quick buck.
The building? It’s not likely to ever be anything else these days, such are the times, as you say.
Disgusting lies.
Photos of the pub are on google maps pre-tile removal which show them in very good condition with some minor and easily manageable repairs needed.
Are you ‘Southall’ or one of his vandal friends?
Nowadays it would be impossible to replace those tiles like for like. Even if you found a company that could the bill would be astronomical.
Seriously, the method is very expensive, looking into it a while ago. I can imagine that’s why Charlie would be willing to risk a lawsuit over it, might end up being cheaper for him!
If anything on his website Dragonfly was true he wouldn’t be interested in a little pub in Brighton.
The head office is not a proper Soho studio but a serviced office in Soho Square.
The claims he makes about his wealth and company just scream Charlatan.
Hope the Council send him where he ought to be.