Cafe campaign collects thousands of signatures

"The leases for the cafes, located in Hampstead Heath, Queen's Park and Highgate Wood, were put up for tender earlier this year. Celebrities such as Benedict Cumberbatch and James McAvoy were among those to back the campaign to stick with the existing operators - who are due to give up the cafes by 31 January."

"Now, more than 11,800 people have asked landowner the City of London Corporation to stop the handover of the sites to a new owner, however the corporation said the retendering process was launched to ensure the cafes continue to deliver "a high-quality visitor experience". PA Media The City of London Corporation, which manages green spaces as a registered charity, announced on 19 December the four cafes at Queen's Park, Golders Hill Park, Parliament Hill Lido and Parliament Hill Fields would be run by the chain Daisy Green. The fifth, in Highgate Wood, is yet to be announced."

"The corporation said the applications to run the cafes were reviewed with "several factors in mind, including the concept, menu and food offer and community and social value, rather than purely for income", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. All existing operators were invited to submit their own proposals. Doug Crawford, who has been part of a campaign group backing the current operators, said the voice of the local community had been "drowned out by corporate greed"."

More than 11,800 people signed a petition asking the City of London Corporation to stop the handover of five north London cafe leases, with celebrities including Benedict Cumberbatch and James McAvoy backing the campaign. The leases, covering sites in Hampstead Heath, Queen's Park and Highgate Wood, were put up for tender earlier this year. On 19 December the corporation announced four sites would be run by Daisy Green, with the Highgate Wood operator yet to be decided. The corporation said tenders were evaluated on concept, menu, community and social value as well as quality, while campaigners criticised the decision as corporate greed.

Read at www.bbc.com