| |
George Hammer wants to turn historic
St Mark’s Church into a ‘Wellness Centre’ |
Developer fights church group in bid to convert historic St Mark’s into spa
Lawyer tells inquiry that ‘Wellness’ plans are for ‘community use’
A LAWYER representing the embattled developer who wants to turn a historic Mayfair church into a health spa has told the religious group threatening to derail the plans to back off.
On the first day of a public inquiry that will finally settle the future of the Grade-I listed St Mark’s Church, Christopher Lockhart-Mummery QC said there was “nothing” Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) could do to win control of the building.
HTB, which has one of the fastest-growing congregations in the country, shocked the inquiry when it revealed it has drawn up its own £3million rescue package to save the crumbling church that has been on English Heritage’s “at risk” register since 1988.
But with control of the building passing to developer George Hammer under a £100,000-a-year rent agreement just weeks before the inquiry, it leaves the church group, Westminster Council and Lady Sainsbury and her Save St Mark’s Campaign perilously close to defeat.
The story of St Mark’s has been an uncomfortable one for the Church of England since it was declared redundant in the 1970s. It has exposed embittered factionalism within the archaic ranks of the church and caused some believers to renounce their faith over the plans, which they regard as sacrilege.
The inquiry at Westminster City Hall, chaired by planning inspector Paul Jackson, has arisen after Mr Hammer appealed against the council’s decision to throw out his plans for a “Wellness Centre” back in December. He says the planning committee was swayed by ideological arguments.
On Wednesday, the council’s chief planning officer gave evidence that Mr Hammer’s scheme, which has the backing of the Diocese of London, does not offer a suitable community use as specified in its planning policy, and would also irreversibly damage the spectacular Georgian architecture.
But Mr Lockhart-Mummery said his client’s Wellness Centre, which would offer spa treatments and therapies with a discount for Mayfair residents, constitutes a community use because of its health and leisure elements.
He added: “The planning objections are confined exclusively to the wish to preserve the church use. Not acknowledging the execution of the lease and doubtless having regard to the legal principles, the proofs are founded on the – now destroyed – assumption of a strong likelihood of HTB becoming the lessee. The objections fail to face up to the fact that the proposals also constitute a community use.”
The council called upon Kenneth Costa from HTB, who told the inspector that the group has a track record in turning around redundant churches, and said they would reopen negotiations with the Diocese once the inquiry was over.
Mr Costa said HTB would “plant” a new congregation into the church and send a team of missionaries out on to council estates in the area if they wrestled control of the church from Mr Hammer.
He added: “The best use for this building is the one for which it was originally designed and a continuation or a reinstatement of that use should certainly be the first option when the future of the building is considered.”
The Save St Mark’s Action Group will give evidence next week. Speaking outside the hearing, Lady Sainsbury said: “At a time when the whole country is anxious about its heritage and its character as a Christian nation, here is the Diocese undermining that by selling its precious assets off cheap as a playground for the rich. It’s unbelievable.”
The inquiry at Westminster City Hall will sit today (Friday) and then conclude on November 17 and 18. |
 |
|
|
| |
| |
