List oldest gay pub and it will have to close, say new owners
A FURIOUS row has broken out over a campaign backed by Paul O’Grady, Sir Ian McKellen and Boris Johnson to win listed status for London’s oldest gay pub.
The new owners of the Royal Vauxhall Tavern — where O’Grady honed his Lily Savage drag act — have warned that heritage protection for the Victorian pub would force it to close.
In an open letter to the campaigners, Austrian property company Immovate said listed status would increase insurance costs by “at least” 50 per cent.
The letter, signed by Immovate chairman Martin Kurschel and assoc iate Xave r Kriechbaum, said: “We do not doubt the sincerit y of your campaign’s aims but a heritage listing is entirely misguided . Your campaign would ultimately increase the operational costs of a business which is losing money and does not pay any rent. Clearly, this is not sustainable.”
The RVT Future campaigners allege that Immovate wants to redevelop the pub site bet ween the Oval cricket ground and the MI6 building.
In a statement, RVT Future said that “hundreds of London pubs and other businesses operate successfully from listed buildings”.
It added: “Wouldn’t an owner who genuinely cherished the RVT welcome the idea of it being the first building in the nation to be listed for its signific ance to LGBTQ heritage — not only out of justifiable pride but because of the tremendous local, national and international promo - tional opportunities such a status would bring?”
In his submission to Historic England to back the proposed listing, O’Grady said: “I consider the venue to be my ve r y own s c hool o f dr a - matic ar t . The Vauxhall Tavern was our village hall [during the Aids crisis].” The Mayor has described it as a “linch- pin” of the LGBT community. The Royal Vauxhall Tavern, which started life as a music hall, was sold in October by former landlord James Lindsay, who has continued to run it. Immovate says it is not charging him rent as they seek “a solution to secure the future of the RVT as an LGBTQ icon in Vauxhall”.
The pub started hosting shows of “female impersonators” after the Second World War for returning servicemen and local gay men.