Корпорация Лондона опровергла слухи о запрете сотрудникам общаться с персоналом кафе на Хэмпстед-Хит

The City of London Corporation has denied claims that it has banned its staff from speaking to the people running two Hampstead Heath cafes at the heart of a legal dispute. The dispute is playing out at the Parliament Hill Lido and Highgate Wood cafés currently run by the operator Hoxton Beach. The company originally locked horns with the Corporation after the authority awarded café contracts to new operators last year following a tender process. A Lido café manager says the Corporation has basically issued a formal warning to pool staff against interacting with them or even buying food and drinks. The council says claims of a blanket ban on communication are not correct. Hoxton Beach is waiting for a High Court ruling on a judicial review of the decision over the contracts and has refused to vacate the premises. But the fallout is now severely affecting the day-to-day running of the spaces, according to the co-owner. A City of London spokesperson, which manages spaces such as Hampstead Heath as a registered charity, said claims of a blanket ban on staff communicating with the cafes are “not correct”, adding its staff continue to engage with Hoxton Beach employees “professionally”. The LDRS has seen a screenshot of a WhatsApp message appearing to support the claim they are ‘banned’ from the lido. We have also spoken to the managers of the two Hoxton Beach cafés who say they have been informed of the directive from City of London employees. The alleged communication ban was reiterated by the Lido café’s manager, who did not wish to be named. They said the Corporation “has basically issued a formal warning to the pool staff against interacting with us and even using the café to buy food and drinks”. On the impact on the business, they said: “Obviously them not being allowed to use the café means less customers, but us not being able to communicate is detrimental in terms of logistics. "Given that we share the same premises we sometimes need things from them, and them from us.” Patrick Matthews, co-owner of Hoxton Beach, said that site management never got back to him over a break-in. He says he sent an email to the Corporation in which he raised concerns about the Lido café being broken into and its cash box stolen. Mr Matthews wrote the incident had been reported to site management with the thieves having broken through the shutters. “Twenty-four hours later we have not had a reply from your colleagues,” he wrote. “This would be of serious concern if the café – and hence the pool – had been left insecure. "Fortunately our own locksmith was able to make the shutter operation and supply us with extra locks. “In the past we have always worked effectively with City personnel to protect the Lido and its users from security problems. It would be a pity if a ban on communication had a freezing effect.” He added: “I do not believe this apparent pettiness really represents the City – which, let us not forget, places itself under divine guidance, in the words of its celebrated motto.” The LDRS has spoken with a manager at another of Hoxton Beach’s premises, in Highgate, who confirmed he had also been told Corporation employees were under instruction not to speak with café staff. A screenshot of a WhatsApp message forwarded to the LDRS appears to back the claim that a communication ban is in place. The message, apparently sent towards the end of June, tells Lido staff that while the legal dispute between Hoxton Beach and the Corporation is ongoing they are to avoid entering the café premises or engaging with any member of the team. ‘This pettiness doesn’t represent The City’ The backdrop to the issue is the impending High Court decision on whether to allow Hoxton Beach to challenge the Corporation’s decision to award the contracts for its cafés to new operators. Three of the cafes are going to Australian chain Daisy Green. In his June email to the Corporation, Mr Matthews wrote: “Both Hoxton Beach and the Corporation have approached the courts for help in resolving our current disagreement. “It seems to me that we should remain aligned where the physical safety of the premises are concerned and the welfare of staff, lido and heath users is concerned.” Mr Matthews told the LDRS: “We have been running cafés with the City of London for more than eight years and have always enjoyed excellent relations with them at every level. We stepped in no fewer than four times to keep cafés open when other operators were defeated by the business challenge. “We have always put public service before any other considerations, so it is disappointing that the City cannot put our legal differences aside and concentrate on giving the best possible experience to Lido users. “I do not believe this apparent pettiness really represents the City – which, let us not forget, places itself under divine guidance, in the words of its celebrated motto.” A City of London Corporation spokesperson said: “Hoxton Beach continues to occupy three café premises despite having been given notice to vacate at the beginning of the year, and the matter is now before the Court. “Claims of a blanket ban on communication are not correct. Our staff continue to engage professionally to support the safe operation of our sites, while the ongoing dispute is being handled through the parties’ legal representatives.”