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Lady Sainsbury |
‘Shelve plan to replace church with spa’, Lady Sainsbury tells council
Supermarket heiress steps in to boost campaign to preserve historic church building
LADY Sainsbury, the supermarket heiress and wife of the Labour peer Baron Sainsbury, has thrown her weight behind the campaign to save a historic Mayfair church from the clutches of developers.
The billionaire socialite has written a belligerent letter to the Lord Mayor of westminsters to express her fears that the fate of St. Mark's Church has been prematurely sealed.
She accuses the council of “not knowing what is going on” after its top planning chief wrongfully claimed the church had been empty for 30 years.
Lady Sainsbury, who with her husband is worth close to £2billion, and owns a house around the corner from the church, says the claim made by the council’s director of planning casts serious doubts over the validity of any decision when it comes to a crunch meeting later this month.
In unequivocal contradiction to the director’s claims, the Grade-I listed church in North Audley Street has been home to the Commonwealth Christian Fellowship congregation for the past 14 years, filling the pews with around 200 worshippers every Sunday.
The council has played down the row, claiming the quote was taken out of context and that the planning department is up to speed with developments.
Under the proposals approved by owners the Diocese of London, the church would be transformed into a health spa by developer George Hammer who lives in the vicarage next door.
In a statement issued by Westminster Council ahead of the planning committee meeting, Rosmarie MacQueen, the council’s director of planning, said: “This is a beautiful building which has sadly lain empty for three decades. The Diocese has stated it has no viable use for it as a place of worship, and it is clear this is an issue in many areas of the country as traditional church attendances have dropped.”
Lady Sainsbury, who is spearheading the fight to save the building near Grosvenor Square, has charged the council with misleading the public about the state of the church.
In a letter to the Lord Mayor, Councillor Louise Hymes, she wrote: “The quote is quite misleading and it makes us realise that the council does not know what is going on. The church has been occupied by a local church congregation for the last 14 years and is very much alive and well.
“I am sure you would not want to continue to mislead people and, given the controversy surrounding the scheme to convert this place of worship into a ‘wellness centre’ you should come and see what good is being done here for yourselves.”
Lady Sainsbury also reminded the council of the proposal by the anglican Christian group Holy Trinity Brompton to stump up the money for the repairs and move into the church.
She added: “The Diocese has its own reasons for trying to sell off this building but lack of a congregation cannot be one of them.
“You are aware of the proposal by Holy Trinity Brompton to take this building on.
“This is not pie in the sky.
“In your patch alone they have saved St Stephen’s Westbourne Park from demolition and, more recently, ‘planted’ a congregation into listed St Mary’s Bryanston Square, which the people refurbished at some cost. It is now home to a congregation of 1,500 people.”
It is understood that should the plans get the green light the Diocese would then sell the building to the Mr Hammer.
A Diocese of London spokesperson said: “Mr Hammer’s proposal will restore and enhance this important Grade-I listed building.” |
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