Westminster Council accused of making soup kitchen operations 'impossible'

Westminster council is making it “impossible” for soup kitchens to operate by complaining about the “crowds of vulnerable people” who turn up to be fed, a charity has said.

Steven Stuart, who founded Friends of Essex & London Homeless (FOELH) with his wife, Cheryl, a decade ago, said constant complaints from the council could force the soup kitchen to shut down.

The council is also facing a licensing battle with the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, who has objected to its restrictive new draft policy that would ban new bars and pubs from opening in Soho and the West End. The council also plans to restrict “vertical drinking” – standing while having a pint – in new bars, pubs and restaurants.

The homeless charity runs a weekly event in Charing Cross, where volunteers hand out hot meals. It also provides new clothes and sleeping bags to rough sleepers, and runs a food bank.

But Westminster council has sent enforcement agents to the soup kitchen, warning that it cannot operate as it currently does and raising concerns about noise and litter.

Phil Jones, a FOELH volunteer, said: “We’ve received notice from the council that they intend to ban us from operating our weekly soup kitchen in Charing Cross. They cite litter issues but we clear away all waste and leave the area spotless, so that’s just an excuse from them.”

Stuart said: “We are facing increasing challenges with Westminster city council surrounding our weekly Charing Cross outreach. Various requirements and obstacles are making it increasingly difficult to provide the consistent support that vulnerable people have come to rely upon.”

These have included a threat of a £500 parking charge for the vehicle used to transport and distribute food, and demands that the charity obtain a costly waste disposal licence.

Stuart said: “We questioned whether this was proportionate or appropriate for a small, entirely volunteer-run charity carrying out a weekly homeless outreach but, nevertheless, we have now obtained the certificate to ensure we are fully compliant.”

The council has also turned up on several occasions with a group of police and security officers to complain about the soup kitchen, Stuart said. “From our perspective, the scale and manner of these visits have at times felt intimidating and disproportionate given the nature of the work we are carrying out.”

He has asked the council to issue permits to charities for specific days and locations, so they know what is expected of them and can carry out their volunteering without being “blind-sided” by new requirements.

A Westminster city council spokesperson said the soup kitchen was not safe at present.

“Soup kitchens can provide a valuable service but need to be carefully managed. Operators must treat vulnerable people with dignity and take care of the surrounding area,” they said.

“At the moment we have several kitchens operating at the same time and place, leading to large crowds of the most vulnerable people gathering in a confined area.”

The spokesperson said this could lead to drug dealers turning up “looking to exploit the situation”, and that the council had received complaints from residents about “antisocial behaviour, littering and crime in Charing Cross while the soup kitchen is operating”

They added: “Currently, the site is not safe for those using the service or the general public.”

The Conservative council has been taking part in a crackdown on homeless people.

The council’s deputy leader, Caroline Sargent, said of homeless sites in Westminster: “Local people and businesses are fed up with rough sleeping sites springing up, and so are we. This is totally unacceptable in the heart of a capital city.”