Greenwich Mirror Shop fined by Greenwich Council

The owner of a famous mirror shop near the Blackwall flyover has been fined £872 by Greenwich Council as well as costs.

The authority stated the owner obstructed the highway and was “endangering pedestrians” with his merchandise.

Area badly maintained and dated in design

What’s ironic is the authority themselves have endangered pedestrians by failing to improve streets in the area for many years.

Public realm heading to east Greenwich shops – guardrails increase risk according to studies

By the way, the News Shopper have covered this story and have literally copied the Council’s press release word for word including typos.

Pot, kettle, black

Greenwich Council complained the owner attached mirrors to guardrails “without its consent, blocking the free passage of a highway and endangering pedestrians, especially parents with pushchairs, visually impaired people or people with accessibility issues.”

Also in Greenwich

As we know it’s Greenwich’s job to block the free passage of a highway and endangering pedestrians, especially parents with pushchairs, visually impaired people or people with accessibility issues.

Flyover

The council have also failed on many occasions to conduct improvement works in the area despite funding plans for the past decade. What happened to these projects:

No sign it ever happened. Or this:

Taken from Greenwich Highways work document around 2014. No sign this ever happened

Anyway, this isn’t an excuse for the owner ignoring numerous warnings but as you hear the council put out their reasoning you have to wonder how they can do it with a straight face. This is a council that carries out work that increases danger and ignores modern design knowledge and practice. According to Greenwich Council:

“Mr Berry refused to comply with requests to move his array of goods from where they were blocking the highway and causing an obstruction.

Mr Berry was convicted for obstruction of a highway, unauthorised marks on a highway and for failing to comply with a community protection notice.

He has been ordered to pay a total of £872 in fines, as well as legal cost.

Cllr Jackie Smith, the cabinet member for children’s services and community safety, commented: “The Council has a legal duty to maintain the safety and usability of highways in the borough.

“By obstructing the pavement and chaining his merchandise to the railings, Mr Clive Berry was endangering pedestrians and moving traffic.”

Earlier today I covered how the council have refused to install crossings near Falconwood station claiming lack of funds – as they allocate less developer and parking income to improved streets compared to almost every other London Council.

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I've lived in south east London most of my life growing up in Greenwich borough and working in the area for many years. The site has contributors on occasion and we cover many different topics. Living and working in the area offers an insight into what is happening locally.

18 thoughts on “Greenwich Mirror Shop fined by Greenwich Council

  • I was looking at the shop just today. I like it and think it brightens up an incredibly dull piece of road.

    One day I will buy the Betty Boop figure!

    And still no sign of those road works you asked about the other day.

    Reply
    • Given some projects date from 2014 I’d be amazed if we see anything soon. Some are confusing them with the separate cycle lane project just revealed.

      Reply
    • Nice one. I am old enough to remember the original editorial (from a Rees-Mogg of course)!

      Reply
  • Typical of the council.
    Thousands and thousandsof £’s are lost in parking fines in trouble spots yet they go after the mirror shop.
    Ok, maybe the shop should have complied council’s notices but the hypocrisy by the council is outstanding (perfectly illustrated by from the murky’s piece)!
    The whole area is horrid for pedestrians!

    I keep saying that we need to vote these morons out so they dont take our votes for granted the next time!
    They are showing such contempt to the residents by their actions!!!

    Reply
    • Totally agree HK, Greenwich Council need to get their priorities right. What a waste of time and effort.

      These Hippocrates needs to be voted out. For too long they have taken the electorate for granted.

      Reply
  • The animals are appealing; the superhero figurines though, deserve to be annihilated.

    There’s far worse obstruction of the pavement at play right in the centre of Greenwich town; Cafe Rouge have land-grabbed an entire corner; either they pay for this, or they’re just multinational corporation with lawyers…

    Reply
    • Looked this up online and what did I find…

      This shop has many negative reviews; pavement obstruction was a genuine issue, also he’s ripping-off clients.

      Notice how the entire shopfront is advertising banners; this shows the real intent behind the whole affair; the items on the street are there as free advertising, not as the ‘hobby’ of some charming English eccentric.

      It’s just aesthetic excreta to draw attention to the shop, he’s tied the animal figurines to the railings with what look like garottes made from builder’s rope. It looks like a mass execution.

      Reply
  • It does seem totally unfair to fine this shop owner now who as be doing this for years and years for as long as I can remember with no previous problems.The Council should be supporting small business as so many larger retail business have left the Borough of late.

    I do have to wonder if this is a bit of tit for tat from the Council as people having been complaining about tne safety at the nearby Angerstein Roundabout,

    The photos provided by Murky show so much street clutter installed by the Council blocking pavements for partially sighted people, disabled people in wheelchairs and parents with small children and buggies. .

    It would be nice to see the Council issuing more fines to rogue landlords with unsafe properties so people can live in decent safe and secure homes.

    Reply
  • Agree with you in the main Graham.

    Just this part sounds rather far-fetched:

    “I do have to wonder if this is a bit of tit for tat from the Council as people having been complaining about the safety at the nearby Angerstein Roundabout”

    From another perspective though; imagine every shop owner stated doing
    this…

    Reply
  • Typical of the council to focus on what doesn’t matter rather than what does

    Reply
  • this guy deserves a big fine he is a nasty individual .he has been blocking the highway for many years .then tells council lady to f ,,, off . he had many warnings council had no choice .well done greenwich no one above the law .

    Reply
  • Indeed.

    “Despite several visits and warnings from our enforcement team, Mr Berry refused to comply with requests”

    Based on how long it takes issues like this to be dealt with, it could well of been over a period of ‘years’.

    Check out the reviews of the place online also – not positive.

    Reply
  • Aside from the numerous closing down sales – the mirror shop is fine speaking as a cyclist/driver/pedestrian.

    But,,,
    Greenwich Centre – adverts for the sports centre on the railings on the junction of Vanburgh hill/Greenwich Centre – that hides pedestrians and looks bad.
    Motorbikes/bins outside shops parked on the pavement – looking at you Personal Training or Pepe’s – check out google earth – they’ve even undone the barrier for easy access…

    In fact I’ve noticed mopeds/bikes parking on the pavement more and more around Greenwich and never seen one ticketed..

    Reply
  • All sounds rather contrived.

    Reply

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