Campaigners protest over threat to Hampstead Heath cafes

Demonstrators will be at the cafe by the bandstand at 9.15 am on Thursday September 4, before moving to the Parliament Hill Lido Cafe at 10am.

Aided by puppets and banners, the “lively” demos are timed to coincide with viewings by potential new operators after Heath managers The City of London Corporation controversially decided to tender the cafe leases.

The lively demos include speeches, poetry and puppetry but protestors have been warned they may fall foul of Heath bylaws. (Image: Daniel Elkan) But protestors claim they have been warned the demos might breach CoL’s Open Spaces Departmental Events Policy and Heath Byelaws against organised public gatherings and entertainment without prior consent.

An email seen by the group states: “Please be advised that these proposed events have not been authorised and may not occur.”

Celebrities Jeremy Vine and Rob Rinder have joined a growing chorus of opposition to the move, joining the likes of Giles Coren, Lord Joe Johnson and Benedict Cumberbatch.

In a post on X, Jeremy Vine wrote: “The Lido Cafe is a vital community asset – a much loved institution. The City of London is in danger of misjudging its value by inviting multinational chains to take it over.”

The move affects Parliament Hill Fields, Parliament Hill Fields Lido and Golders Hill Park along with Highgate Wood café and Queen’s Park café.

Campaigners claim that last week, a large ‘Save The Lido Café’ banner hung on a tree nearby was taken down by the City of London Corporation’s Hampstead Heath team.

One of the organisers of the protest, Stefan Simanowitz, said: “The aim of this protest is to demonstrate both to the City of London Corporation and to companies vying to take over the cafés, that there is a huge amount of grassroots local support for keeping these independent cafes as they are.

“There will be no microphones or amplified sound at Thursday’s protest and we fail to see why a group of people gathering on the Heath to express our genuine concern should be treated any differently to any of the large picnics which are allowed to take place on the Heath every week. Whilst our banners and our placards can be confiscated and demonstrators can be dispersed, their Save Our Cafés message will not be silenced.”

Hampstead Heath, Highgate Wood and Queen’s Park committee chair, Sheriff and Alderman, Gregory Jones KC previously told the Ham&High that existing operators were encouraged to take part in the tender process: “All five café operators are trading under tenancies at will, which are short-term arrangements.

“This process will provide greater clarity and security for the cafés’ operators, supporting their long-term investment and future on these sites.

“We are focused on securing the best operators to serve the local community and support the aims of our open spaces charities.”