Protesters outside E Woods butchers

Londoner of the Day is a group in Islington fighting to save a century-old Butcher’s shop from the chop and preserve a slice of local trade heritage from property development.

Hopes are slim of keeping E.Wood Butcher’s in Liverpool Road open, with planning permission already granted by Islington Council to Four Square Management to build 33 flats, one metre away from where Maurice Wood prepares his cuts of meat for the shop window.

But a lively campaign against the plan garnered more than 400 signatures, with around 60 people recently staging a solidarity protest outside the premises.

As continuing economic gloom squeezes small businesses and the death of the high street is predicted by high-profile pundits, it is a most welcome sight to see members of the community making a stand for a valuable and historical local asset.

One protester wrote on the online petition: “Islington Council should be doing their best to protect shops like this, rather than forcing them out of business.”

But Islington Counncil’s hands were effectively tied because planning refusal would be overturned by an appeal, said Labour councillor, Paul Convery.

E.Wood started selling meat to Islington residents in 1909. The London Blitz during the Second World War by Adolf Hitler’s Luftwaffe failed to do what the reality of planning law has done in closing down the family business.

To nominate a Londoner of the Day, please email London24.com editor Simon Bull: simon.bull@archant.co.uk