Unfortunately Simpson’s remains closed with a resoution between the owner/landlord and the tenant no closer despite some potential resolution before Christmas. We understand that there is more than one legal action in process with the landlord seeking to wind up the company that holds the lease and the leaseholder challenging the forfeiture of the lease.
More positively Simpson’s achieved a listing as an ‘Asset of Community Value’ which seeks to protect the site’s function, will need to be taken into account if there is any application for change of use and which allows the sponsoring body to potentially bid to buy the site.
The sponsoring body is the Simpson’s Tavern Preservation Society which was formed by Deputy Peter Dunphy who acts as Secretary, Philip Palumbo who acts as Chair and Alderman Robert Howard as Vice Chair. The membership is made up of local electors – residents and business electors as well as over a dozen members of the City of London Corporation. The ACV application was supported unanimously by the Policy committee of the Corporation.
The ACV can prevent conversion of the site to e.g. a private club, offices, retail or a restaurant without a public bar – the legislation is designed to protect local pubs and crucially Simpson’s is registered as a pub/tavern. The ACV cannot however prevent the site being taken over by a pub group for instance, or stop a change of name or (unless we buy it ourselves) a change of ownership with a different operator if the function remains as a ‘Tavern’. We support the reinstatement of the business and have taken what measures are available to us to this end and will keep you up to date. Peter Dunphy
