University squatter to be evicted

The buildings were purchased in 1997

A squatter who transformed a disused pub into an artist's studio will be evicted next week, the university that owns it has confirmed.

David McFarlane, 45, moved into the Duke of Clarence, one of the 17 Georgian houses, in July.

South Bank University purchased the listed properties in south London and earmarked them for development.

Due to their listed status the properties are unable to be demolished or changed.

Mr McFarlane and a group of artists made an offer to the university to renovate and use the premises until the strategy was approved was not accepted due to the buildings state of disrepair.

'Useful interaction'

"This has been a dead space for a long time in the middle of a community in the middle of regeneration," he said.

"It's now become a very active place and a lively space with artist and creative expression and its also become a good interface with local community and the students so this empty building suddenly became a lively place."

Mike Wilkinson, of South Bank University, said they are working with English Heritage to bring the buildings back into use.

He said: "What we want to work on with interested parties is a scheme to keep the properties standing and bring them into beneficial use for the university and the community.

"We feel that we can make a very useful interaction between the heritage buildings and a more modern structure on that site."