A cafe owner fighting to keep her business at Putney Leisure Centre has taken legal action directly against Wandsworth Council.
Jeannine Angel, who runs The Kitchen cafe, instructed solicitors last week to serve formal legal notices on the council demanding the right to stay for another 15 years. She also served notices on Places Leisure, the company that operates the centre.
The decision to take action against the council came after Places Leisure disclosed that it operates as an “agent” for Wandsworth rather than as landlord in its own right. Angel’s solicitors argue this means the council should be held accountable for what happens to tenants at its leisure centres.
Whether they’re right is a legal question that may ultimately need a court to decide. But it puts the council in an awkward position: a dispute it may have hoped would stay between Places Leisure and a small business tenant is now on its own doorstep.
Why Angel is suing the council
The council switched to an “agency model” contract with Places Leisure earlier this year because it offers tax benefits. Under this arrangement, Places Leisure manages the leisure centres on behalf of the council rather than running them as its own business.
Angel’s solicitors believe this makes the council responsible for tenant relationships. Their logic: if Places Leisure is just the agent, the council is the principal, and the principal answers for what the agent does. By serving legal notices on both parties, Angel’s lawyers are forcing the question into the open.
What Angel’s solicitors claim
Angel’s lawyers say she has the legal right to stay. Under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, business tenants can ask for a new lease when their current one ends, and landlords can only refuse for specific reasons.
To avoid this, landlords must follow strict procedures when the lease is first signed. Angel’s solicitors claim Places Leisure failed to do this properly, which would mean Angel automatically has legal protection.
They describe Places Leisure’s paperwork as “legally incoherent and fatally defective”, saying the notices contain “contradictions, drafting mistakes, and procedural errors”. At the Latchmere leisure centre in Battersea, they say a notice was issued by the wrong company entirely.
Blacks Legal, acting for Angel, told Putney.news: “We believe the recent attempts to force them out are a transparent pretext to clear the sites for a major, multi-million-pound redevelopment project.”
They added: “Our clients are not going anywhere. They are prepared to fight for their statutory rights in court if necessary.”
The £24 million refurbishment
Hanging over the dispute is the council’s plan to spend £24 million refurbishing its leisure centres.
Cllr Paul White, Cabinet Member for Environment, has championed the improvements. In June, he announced Putney would get a “new cafe” as part of “long over-due” upgrades. Council documents also mention a “café studio”.
No one has explained what these terms mean. Will the existing cafe stay? Will it become a Costa Coffee, as has happened at other Places Leisure sites?
Putney.news asked White: were you aware of the legal dispute when you announced the refurbishment? What does “new cafe” mean? Were residents consulted?
He did not respond. Neither did the council press office.
What Places Leisure says
Places Leisure confirmed it is in discussions with the three companies that run cafes at its Wandsworth centres: JDSR Limited at Putney, Suarez & Co Ltd at Tooting, and Suangel & Co Limited at Latchmere.
A spokesperson said: “Places Leisure is committed to finding a solution to this issue as quickly as possible whilst ensuring the best outcome for our customers, the current café operators and Places Leisure.”
The company added there are “no future plans” to replace the cafes with a franchise chain or vending machines, saying: “We fully support small local businesses.”
That’s a difficult statement to reconcile with six months of legal action against exactly such a business.
How we got here
The dispute began in May when Places Leisure closed Angel’s cafe after an inspection. Angel challenged the closure through solicitors. Places Leisure later called it a “misunderstanding” and let her reopen, but never explained what happened.
Since then, Angel’s lawyers have argued that Places Leisure’s original lease paperwork was defective. Places Leisure promised to provide evidence it was done correctly. Five months later, that evidence hasn’t appeared.
Angel has run The Kitchen at Putney for ten years, serving Venezuelan food with a five-star hygiene rating. More than 500 people have signed a petition supporting her.
What happens next
Places Leisure and the council have two months to respond. They can grant Angel new 15-year leases, oppose her claim in court, or negotiate a settlement.
If it goes to court, a judge will have to answer the question Angel’s solicitors are asking: when a council uses an agent to run its leisure centres, who is responsible for the tenants inside them?
Cllr Paul White and Wandsworth Council did not respond to requests for comment.
Accountability Statement
We contacted: Jeannine Angel (the cafe owner), Places Leisure, Wandsworth Council, Cllr Paul White (Cabinet Member for the Environment)
Request sent: 23 November 2025
Jeannine Angel
Cafe owner
Status: Statement provided.
Questions asked (click to expand)
We asked for an update on the situation and received an explanation and statement for solicitors.
Places Leisure
Operator of Putney Leisure Centre
Status: Statement provided.
Questions asked (click to expand)
We asked for an update on the situation and received an explanation and statement for solicitors.
Cllr Paul White
Cabinet Member for the Environment
Status: No response.
Questions asked (click to expand)
When you announced refurbishment plans for Putney in June 2025, were you aware of the legal dispute between Places Leisure and the existing cafe operators? The dispute began in May 2025 when Places Leisure closed the Putney cafe, later admitting it was a “misunderstanding.”
“New cafe” plans: In your press releases, you promise Putney will receive a “new cafe.” What does this mean? Will the current independent cafe (The Kitchen) continue operating, or does “new cafe” mean it will be replaced?
Consultation: The cafe owner has operated successfully for 10 years with a five-star food hygiene rating and has 500+ petition supporters. Were residents consulted about changes to the existing cafe as part of your refurbishment plans?
“Long over-due improvements”: In June 2025, you described the improvements as “long over-due” – acknowledging years of deferred maintenance. Should independent cafe operators be asked to leave as part of addressing the council’s previous underinvestment?
The cafe owner says her solicitors claim Places Leisure’s eviction notices contain “fatal defects” and were issued by wrong legal entities. Are you concerned about how Places Leisure is handling this matter under the new contract the council approved?
Your position: What will you do, as Cabinet Member, to ensure this situation is resolved fairly?.
Wandsworth Council
Press Office
Status: No response.
Questions asked (click to expand)
What does “new cafe” / “café studio” mean?
Will independent cafes continue after refurbishment?
Was the council aware of this dispute when the contract was awarded?
Was the council aware of this dispute when the contract was awarded?
