Cllrs Lukes and Gantly outside Tetto
Cllrs Lukes and Gantly outside Tetto's on Highbury New Park

Islington’s Labour-run Council has always been clear that we welcome new businesses into the borough with open arms. So many come here, enriching our culture, creating jobs and making Islington a better place to live.

All we ask is that they work with our community, are respectful to local people and follow the rules. Unfortunately, there are some who don’t. One of those is Tetto’s restaurant on Highbury New Park.

We got news this week that the Government’s Planning Inspectorate has turned down Tetto’s appeal against the Council’s refusal to grant planning permission for the large glass enclosure they built illegally, so they will now have to remove it and restore the Victorian pub frontage.

This news comes only a year after the restaurant’s application for a late license to serve alcohol was denied. The license would have allowed them to serve food and drink, as well as playing music, until 3am in a quiet residential part of Islington. The local community stood together in opposition to these plans and we succeeded in blocking them.

We are concerned, however, that the Government wants to “relax” planning rules. This is yet another case of the Tories letting their big business friends build sub-standard homes and businesses, without proper regulations, to the detriment of local communities.

Robert Jenrick, the Housing Secretary and the man who has been caught up in a planning scandal with a Tory donor in recent months, said they are “cutting out unnecessary bureaucracy”. What they mean by that is that developers won’t have to comply with the health and safety rules that are vital to keeping local people safe.

If that happens, residents and councillors may find it harder to stop this sort of exploitative development in future. But they can rely on us to do whatever we can to build and protect our communities.

Cllr Sue Lukes, Highbury East ward councillors said: “We love our diverse local cafes and restaurants and we work with local businesses. Many have been heroes in the pandemic, keeping Highbury supplied, helping with deliveries, supporting food banks. But businesses must work with local people and comply with local rules. Tetto’s have done neither.

 

“So as ward councillors we responded to concerns about the loss of a local landmark and the increases in traffic, noise and litter. We stood up for local people. We will carry on doing that because we live here and we care about Highbury.”

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