When it comes to a battle between a glamorous property and porn heiress (who is richer than the Queen) and the clipboard-wielding jobsworths at her local council, I honestly could not say who would win.
But this is exactly what’s happening in London’s party district, as India Rose James, who once described herself as the ‘Princess of Soho’, is in a war with planners over her bid to revive a historic private members’ club.
India Rose, 30 — whose £329 million fortune inherited from her porn and property mogul grandfather, Paul Raymond, in 2008 made her richer than the monarch — has acquired the old St James & Soho club, a listed building which has remained unloved and empty for more than seven years.
The club, which opened in 1864, was where the working men of Soho went to drink, until it fell into disrepair and was purchased by James’s business Soho Estates.
India Rose James attends the Dazed, Fashion East and Browns Fashion celebration of 20 years of Fashion East at The Standard London on September 20, 2021 in London, England
India Rose, 30 — whose £329 million fortune inherited from her porn and property mogul grandfather, Paul Raymond, in 2008 made her richer than the monarch — has acquired the old St James & Soho club, a listed building which has remained unloved and empty for more than seven years
It’s currently being refurbished, and India says ‘exciting things are coming’ for the building. But the council, hoping to curb the number of drinkers in the bustling streets, has ruled that it can be used only for ‘educational purposes’, for example as an art gallery or school.
Philip Thompson, a director of Soho Estates, tells me: ‘We would love it to be brought back as a members’ club [but] the council rules are very restrictive. Council planners won’t let us use it for anything that isn’t an educational use, or a gallery, but we would love to bring it back as a members’ club if we could get the planners to agree.’
If the killjoys at Westminster Council stick to their guns, he says the building will still be ‘used for something cool’, with India planning to open it as a pop-up art gallery and event space, an extension of her Soho Revue gallery, in the meantime.
But should she win, India could turn it into a rival for Soho House, the venue where Prince Harry and Meghan met on a ‘blind date’.
India Rose James attends Kiehl's 'We Are Proud' party to celebrate Pride on July 5, 2018 in London, England
JEREMY Clarkson was forced to close his Oxfordshire Diddly Squat farm shop for two months after the local council demanded its roof was replaced, but he’s managed to find an alluring way to promote his products nevertheless.
The petrolhead has shared this photograph, from his sunshine holiday overseas, of his girlfriend Lisa Hogan wearing a £20 bucket hat embroidered with the Diddly Squat logo.
The petrolhead has shared this photograph, from his sunshine holiday overseas, of his girlfriend Lisa Hogan wearing a £20 bucket hat embroidered with the Diddly Squat logo.
Jeremy Clarkson and Lisa Hogan attend The Sunday Times AA Gill Award for emerging food critics at The River Cafe on June 16, 2019 in London, England
‘Old lady in a hat’, Clarkson, 61, wrote unflatteringly next to the picture of the 49-year-old former model and actress.
He hasn’t divulged their location, but they’ve previously enjoyed January holidays in the Caribbean.
Hogan is known to work behind
