A historic Barnet pub famed for its live music heritage will be bulldozed and replaced with a block of flats.

Barnet Council approved a proposal from developer Elpo to flatten The Castle, in Finchley Road, Childs Hill, and replace it with a block of nine flats on Wednesday last week.

Campaigners had hoped to save the 19th century pub by having it listed as an asset of community value but had their application rejected by the council.

The pub was renowned as a popular live music venue in its heyday and was run by Denis Cook, whose nephew is DJ Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, until its closure in December 2012.

Sarah Sackman, Labour parliamentary candidate for Finchley and Golders Green, said: “Unfortunately this means the loss of yet another community asset, and sadly it is part of a bigger picture.

“There has been a lot of change in Childs Hill, some good and some bad. With further developments planned in Cricklewood and the Granville Road Estate, the council should be far more active in preserving the character of Childs Hill with a good mix of affordable housing, shops, and public services.”