Society had rescued St Anne’s

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Published: 10 December 2010

• I HAVE lived in Soho for 18 years and I am devastated that David Gilmore, the Rector of St Anne’s, has sought to evict the Soho Society from the tower room of St Anne’s Church, which has been the home of this vital and welcoming amenity group for 35 years. 

Ironically, his choice of generating additional income comes at the cost of the same charity organisation that came reliably to the rescue when the parish needed them most. 

Fr Gilmore wishes to fulfil his obligation to maximise revenue. 

But has the NHS trust he is negotiating with considered if paying £35,000 per year for a property that might not be best suited for use as a “cardiovascular clinic” for elderly persons is value for money in comparison to local alternatives? 

In his “Petition for Faculty” to the Diocese of London, Fr Gilmore states that the NHS will be picking up a huge bill (estimated at £70,000) for internal alterations to the space they are interested in renting including the historic Grade II-protected tower rooms. 

Works were scheduled to commence mid-December 2010. But the planned alterations and change of use have not even been applied for with the planning department of Westminster Council.

Since Fr Gilmore is looking to raise more income for the parish has he considered giving up his four-bedroom rectory flat in the heart of Soho? A West End property of such a size is absolute gold dust, and could earn the church much higher revenue.

In the light of Fr Gilmore’s comparatively short stay in Soho (three-and-a-half years), I am surprised at him already serving an eviction notice on the Soho Society who historically established themselves in the 1970s, and who were manifest in renovating their beloved St Anne’s tower, which also involved them in raising about £200,000 in today’s money. 

Does this rector manage wisely the balance of local community needs and the volunteer spirit in Soho with his practice?

And is his conduct in the heart of the West End truly representative of the Church of England in times when the protection of our local community in the face of opportunistic commercial developers and other social pressures is needed most?

U Schmidt, Soho