Soho Society eviction - Will St Anne's Church dispute be over by Christmas? - Councillor Jonathan Glanz offers to play peacemaker role

Published: 10 December 2010
by JOSH LOEB

A COUNCILLOR has offered to play the role of peacemaker to try to resolve an escalating row between one of Westminster’s most prominent community groups and the rector of a historic church.

Councillor Jonathan Glanz said he would be prepared to act as a “shuttle diplomat” in any future negotiations between the Soho Soci­ety and Father David Gilmore, the rector of St Anne’s Church in Dean Street.

Last week the Society were evicted from the tower room above the church, where they have held meetings for the past 35 years. 

Negotiations have now ceased and Father Gilmore – who has said he wants to “maximise full market value” on the room – has report­edly instructed church administrator Stephen Grey to bar members of the Society from entering the church tower again.

Cllr Glanz said it was “in the interest of the community” that a solution is found to the ­dispute.

“I know the people on both sides and I like the people on both sides,” he said.

“The suggestion that they sit down together in the pub and work things out is one which I would agree with.”

He added that negotiations “could take the form of shuttle diplomacy if need be”, with Cllr Glanz acting as an intermediary between the two parties rather than them having to meet face to face. 

Soho Society chairwoman Fiona Rhys-Jenkins Bailey has welcomed the suggestion, saying Cllr Glanz would be “the perfect person” to act as a peacemaker.

But Father Gil­more has so far refused to comment.

The dispute, which has deeply divided Soho residents, has led to wider questions being raised over the church’s future plans.

A spokeswoman for Imperial Healthcare, an NHS Trust, this week confirmed the tower room was one of two sites in Soho that it was considering using as a base for its My Action Service clinic – which would aim to combat stroke and heart disease.

However, it is not known whether the church would need to submit a change of use application to Westminster City Council before the room could be converted for healthcare purposes. 

This week the Westminster Central Police Consultative Group became the latest casualty of the row, announcing that it had changed the venue for its next meeting from the church to City Hall.

Its chairwoman Jo Weir – who is also co-vice-chairwoman of the Soho Society – said: “I cannot in all conscience hold a meeting in a place that has shown such scant regard for a long established amenity group.”  

Father Gilmore had previously stated his intention was to “work with” the Soho Society, insisting that he had offered them alternative meeting space within the church – but he has consistently declined the West End Extra permission to see this space despite numerous requests.

Soho Society honorary secretary Kay De Ville said Father Gilmore had drawn up a list of “rigid” conditions surrounding the use of the new space. 

She said these included demands that the Society’s phone “remain silent when the office is not in use” and that the route to the toilet be kept clear at all times. 

Father Gilmore and a Diocese of London spokesman were unavailable for comment.