100-year-old butcher's shop may get chop in row over sub-station

Contamination fears: butcher Maurice Woods is worried about the possible health risks of being situated near to a sub-station
Emine Sinmaz13 April 2012

A butcher's shop which has been trading for more than 100 years is at risk of closure after a council approved a plan to build an electricity sub-station next door.

E Woods in Islington opened in 1909 and has been run by three generations of the same family. But owner Maurice Woods, who has been working behind the counter since 1958, is concerned about health risks associated with being close to a sub-station.

The 69-year-old told the Standard he would rather close the business than expose his customers to meat he fears could be contaminated.

"You can almost touch where the sub-station is going to be from my back door," said Mr Woods. "I'm sure I will have problems employing people because who's going to want to work so close to a sub-station?

"My daughter, who pays the lease on the flat above, said she would not be happy about having her two-year-old stay because of the health risks. If it goes ahead, I will close the business."

Paul Convery, Islington's executive member for planning, regeneration and transport, said the council had no reason to reject the planning application.

"I think it's a great shame that Maurice is going to close. But there's no evidence that having a small sub-station next door poses a health risk," he said.

"If the council had been shown any evidence whatsoever, it would have been considered, but we haven't."

Louis Leigh, 33, a customer at E Woods who set up a campaign group and organised a protest last week, said: "As a proud Londoner, I think it's disgraceful.

"Small businesses are being squeezed from all angles and it seems thoroughly unjust that an outstanding servant to the community of Islington should be treated so shabbily and forced into premature closure."

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