Government Inspector signs death warrant for antiques trade

10.23.37am GMT Mon 23rd Feb 2009

A Government Inspector appointed by a Labour Cabinet Minister has signed the order to destroy the antiques trade in the Mall at the Angel.

The Mall has housed 35 small antiques and art shops since 1979. The Lib Dem council fought against a property developer attempting to scrap these shops and replace them with a single open-plan retail space. But the developer appealed to the Government, who have now given permission.

The Government Inspector decided that the change would not harm the Angel conservation area. He contemptuously described the antique shops as being "of a loose Victorian or Georgian style, and are rather crudely executed", without any special interest or value. The Inspector claimed that the Mall gave no "richness of experience". And although the antiques market has been there for forty years, the Government Inspector casually said that this "is not a significant historical event in understanding the special interest of the building."

Councillor Terry Stacy, Islington's Liberal Democrat deputy council leader slammed the Government Inspector's decision. He said:

"This is a spectacularly bad decision by the Government-appointed Planning Inspector. I'm shocked and appalled that he could walk in and dismiss this much-loved and unique arcade as being of no interest.

"The Council fought as hard as we could to save the Mall's antiques market only to be overruled by the Government. It's bitterly disappointing."