A CENTURY-OLD shop front wrecked by council building contractors remains unrepaired despite being damaged five years ago.
Cracks in the stone and glass of the exterior of Medcalf Bar, the last remaining original frontage in Exmouth Market, appeared in June 2005, when builders began carrying out maintenance work on water points nearby.
Justin Unsworth, owner of the bar, said: “They were lifting the pavement with crowbars and drilling right near the front of the bar. The granite began to crumble almost immediately. It’s a listed property so I was concerned.”
Compaints
As the cracks grew wider Mr Unsworth contacted Islington Council to complain.
“I spoke to an office clerk about the damage. Nobody seemed to take my concerns seriously and they wouldn’t even admit they were responsible. I wrote several letters and received no response.
“Late last year, I found out that the clerk, Julia Olinski, had become Head of Highways. She agreed to meet me outside the bar so she could see the damage.
Five years
“She seemed embarrassed and admitted the council’s responsibility. This was in October. That was five years since my first complaint,” Mr Unsworth said.
Six months ago, papers signed by the Council admitting responsibility for the damage were handed to his insurance firm Zurich, which is looking into the matter, Mr Unsworth claimed. Despite Mr Unsworth writing several letters to Islington Council, the dispute has yet to be resolved.
“Frustrating”
“It’s frustrating. Back in 2003, when we renovated the bar, we had to be very careful to retain the historical frontage,” he explained. “It’s listed – which means it’s protected by the Council. It’s quite ironic that two years later, after we’d been so careful, it would be the people in charge of protecting this kind of architecture who did all this damage,” he added.
Sebastian Andrejko, 24, a student and regular customer at Medcalf Bar, said: “It’s pretty ridiculous when you think the Council is supposed to look after it anyway. There aren’t many original parts to the street anymore.
“Struggling”
“Starbucks and Stradas are popping up all over the place so the market seems to be struggling to maintain its originality. Places like Medcalf are all that’s left that give it the real, authentic London feel.”
Medcalf Bar originally opened as Medcalf Butchers in 1912 and became renowned for top quality Angus beef, pike, wild salmon and game. The granite and glass features on its exterior originally matched the surrounding shops in the pedestrian street.
Islington Council declined to comment on the issue.
