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A beauty magnate today vowed to convert a Grade-I listed church into a health retreat despite "foolish" opposition from council bosses.
Millionaire George Hammer's proposal to create a "wellness centre" in St Mark's, Mayfair, was rejected unanimously by Westminster council last year after the congregation declared the plans "tantamount to sacrilege".
But the businessman, who founded The Sanctuary in Convent Garden, has launched an appeal against the decision and is preparing for a three-day public inquiry. Today he claimed he was facing a campaign "full of lies, misrepresentations and foolishness".
He said: "So far I have refused to get embroiled in a bitter war of words but I am starting to lose patience. I've been called the 'unacceptable face of commercialism', branded a Judas Iscariot and labelled wicked and blasphemous. I am a Catholic and believe in turning the other cheek but it's all got very offensive.
"All I am trying to do is save a building in dire need of help and create a holistic centre where people can work on their lifestyle and get treatment for stress. My barristers think I have a good chance on appeal."
Mr Hammer has been working on the scheme for four years after entering into an agreement with the Diocese of London under which he would restore the church building and then pay an annual rent of £100,000 for a 112-year lease. A spokesman for the diocese said it was determined to "honour the contract".
But the Commonwealth Christian Fellowship, which pays no rent for the church but was granted permission to act as its "caretaker" in 1994, said the deal was a betrayal and have formed the Save StMark's Action Group.
A spokesman for the group said: "The appeal is Mr Hammer's last hand, his last card to play. This church is central to the community here. People were baptised, confirmed, married here. To let it be handed over to be made into a spa, swimming pool, gymnasium and jumped-up juice bar would be a tantamount to sacrilege."
Mr Hammer, 59, whose empire includes Urban Retreat at Harrods and who lives next door to the church in North Audley Street, has denied he plans to create a spa in its place.
He said his plans for the crumbling Greek revival structure, which has been on the English Heritage's buildings at risk register since it was declared redundant 25 years ago, could be its only chance for survival.
"There are lumps of plaster falling from the ceiling," he said. "The only way to hold a church service inside would be if all the congregation wore hard hats."
The campaigners, who claim to have spent money on church repairs, say they offered to help the diocese raise the £2million needed for further work but were turned down.
A bigger church in the diocese - Holy Trinity, Brompton Road - has also offered to restore St Mark's. Vicar Nicky Gumbel, who set up the evangelical Alpha programme, said it was "ready, willing and able to take on the work StMark's Church needs to survive".
A final decision on St Mark's will be made after the inquiry in October.
Reader views (2)
It is sacrilege to turn a church into anything else! The greatest health a person can find is healing for their soul; forgiveness for their sins, a relationship with their heavenly Father and eternal life after they die.
- James, Abjua, Nigeria, 29/06/2009 12:26
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If it is not sacrilege to turn a deconsecrated church into a place of worship for non-Christians (and I know of several such), then surely a health centre is perfectly innocuous?
- Nigel, London, 25/06/2009 14:59
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