Westminster council threatens Charing Cross soup kitchen with closure
Summary
Westminster council in London is making it harder for a charity’s soup kitchen to operate by raising complaints about crowds and safety concerns. The charity Friends of Essex & London Homeless (FOELH) says these actions might force them to shut down their weekly support event for homeless people at Charing Cross.Key Facts
- The soup kitchen run by FOELH provides hot meals, clothes, sleeping bags, and food bank services to homeless people every week.
- Westminster council has sent agents to warn the soup kitchen about noise and litter, despite volunteers cleaning up after each event.
- The council threatened a £500 parking charge for the food transport vehicle and demanded an expensive waste disposal license, which the charity has now obtained.
- Police and security have sometimes accompanied council visits, which the charity says feels intimidating.
- The council wants to limit the number of soup kitchens operating at the same place and time to reduce crowds and safety risks.
- Officials are worried about drug dealers exploiting the crowds and have received complaints about antisocial behavior, littering, and crime near the soup kitchen.
- The council claims the Charing Cross site is unsafe for both users of the service and the public.
- Westminster council is also working on new rules to restrict new bars and “vertical drinking” in Soho and the West End.
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