London borough faces judicial review over bid to move soup kitchen

A local authority is facing a judicial review challenge over its decision to revoke a licence for a soup kitchen and move it to an out-of-town site.

The Christian Kitchen, which is based in a car park at Mission Grove, has been told to move to a venue near the North Circular Road.

The London Borough of Waltham Forest has agreed to allow it to continue to use the current site until the legal action is resolved.

The service, which is staffed by volunteers from local churches, has run seven days a week for more than 25 years. It provides between 50 and 100 meals a night.

Irwin Mitchell is acting for the claimants, two users of the soup kitchen.

The law firm claimed that Waltham Forest had failed to properly assess the impact of the move on vulnerable people.

Partner Alex Rook said: “The soup kitchen is a vital charitable service for the homeless and vulnerable people in the area and the organisers and users of the service have been left with no choice but to take legal action to stop the move which they believe would lead to its closure.

“As austerity bites and the demand for the soup kitchen rises, the last thing the vulnerable homeless people in this region need is to be asked to ‘move along’ to another part of the road network which is difficult for them to access.”

Rook added: “It has been suggested that the kitchen is responsible for anti-social behaviour but a freedom of information request proves that the council has had no direct complaints about the soup kitchen in the last 12 months. Our clients and the Charities Trustees would welcome moves by the Police that directly address anti-social behaviour.

“There are serious concerns that many of the current users of the service simply won’t be able to get to the proposed new site and that this decision will force the closure of the soup kitchen.”

Cllr Clyde Loakes, Deputy Leader of Waltham Forest, said the council had been involved in discussions with Christian Kitchen since November 2012, explaining its reasons for withdrawing the use of Mission Grove car park “based on the information provided by the police”.

He added: “The council appreciates that the vast majority of the people who use the soup kitchen are law-abiding, but the current site has sadly become a magnet for some people who want to cause trouble and we do not think that it is right that local residents should be made to feel unsafe.”

According to Waltham Forest, the police have reported that alcohol related crime and anti-social behaviour has been an issue for some time around the environs of the High Street, Walthamstow.

The police have claimed that:

  • since June 2012 more than 350 Section 27 Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 Banning Notices had been issued in relation to breaches of the No Alcohol Zone.
  • 15 problematic core street drinkers regularly frequented the soup kitchen. Since June 2012, a total of 58 arrests were attributable to these individuals for a range of offences including, violence against the person, public order, theft, drunkenness and breach of the banning order.

A spokesman for Waltham Forest said: “The council has offered an alternative site in an effort to help provide a solution, and has entered into discussions about other council-owned sites suggested by Christian Kitchen, but unfortunately none have proved practicable.

“The council understands Christian Kitchen are also considering other non-council owned sites and respects their right to relocate where they feel is best. However, the council is consistent in its view that Mission Grove is no longer a viable option.”