The court case to decide the fate of the Vaults & Garden cafe was adjourned last week because the time allowed for trial was not enough for the number of witnesses and the amount of documents to be considered by the judge.

So hopefully we will all be able to enjoy the delights of the cafe for the summer months before the fate of the cafe’s future in the face of the church’s eviction proceedings is finally decided. A new trial date in the High Court in London will be fixed in the coming weeks.

More than 3,500 documents have been disclosed in the case and at least seven witnesses are expected to give evidence at the trial.

Cafe founder, Will Pouget, says he is still hopeful of a settlement of the dispute with the vicar, the Revd Will Lamb, who has plans to spend £750,000 on redeveloping the cafe and running it himself as a “social enterprise.”

The  vicar announced his plans to the press 18 months ago. A meeting to announce the plan details to the public was abruptly cancelled and no application for planning or listed building consent has been filed with Oxford city council.

Will Pouget says that an important issue in the legal dispute is whether the cafe premises are consecrated or not. Consecrated premises are exempt from planning permission and listed building consent.

Records filed at Oxford city council show that planning permission and listed building consent applications have been made for the cafe premises since 1962.

Between 1988-1990, three applications for change of use of the premises to a cafe were refused before consent was finally given. In 2011, planning and listed building consent was given for major works. At this time, the cafe had to close until the work was completed.

We are informed that the vicar’s plans include the construction of cafe toilets in the Radcliffe Square garden. In normal circumstances, such plans would require full public consultation before planning permission is granted or refused.

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team@savethevaults.com