A grandmother’s 13-year battle to remove five large telecom boxes from outside her Carribbean restaurant has been discussed in Parliament.
Debbie Monfries, 64, says the boxes have ‘ruined’ passing trade at Umana Yana in Herne Hill, south London.
Some of the boxes are 6ft tall, which she says has meant potential customers cannot see her restaurant.
The boxes were installed in 2012 and Mrs Monfries says they have caused a devastating impact to her business and her health.
Under government rules, telecom companies can install their boxes without planning permission from councils.
Mrs Monfries believes the boxes were installed by Virgin, which is said to own three of them, subletting another three to O2 and Vodafone.
She has spent several years complaining to Southwark Council in the hope that they would be removed and said she has suffered because of the stress – leading to her suffering a heart attack in 2020.
Last year she was told the boxes would be staying, leaving her fearing she may have to close her business.
But on Wednesday, February 12, Dulwich and West Norwood MP Helen Hayes brought a petition calling for the removal of the boxes to the House of Commons – sparking fresh hope.
Ms Hayes said: ‘The petition is in support of a restaurant called Umana Yana in Herne Hill, in my constituency.
‘It is a wonderful restaurant run by Deborah Monfries and her family, who are in the Public Gallery today.
‘Deborah’s restaurant serves delicious Guyanese food and I would commend it to all Members in the House.
‘However, it has suffered a detriment in recent years as a consequence of the installation of enormous telecommunications cabinets that obscure the view of the restaurant for passing customers.
‘The petitioners therefore urge the government to bring forward legislation to ensure small businesses are not blocked from view by telecommunications equipment, to ensure the removal of equipment affecting small businesses like Umana Yana, and to ensure that businesses are duly compensated by the telecoms companies for disruption.’
She added that the petition had been signed by more than 1,700 locals.
Mrs Monfries, from Croydon, is hopeful that the petition may finally bring about a change.
Over the years the grandmother-of-six has received significant support, including from famous faces such as rapper Central Cee.
She said: ‘I am so happy we got the petition to Parliament because this injustice has been going on for 13 years.
‘I tried taking it to court on numerous occasions but from experience, no solicitors were brave enough to challenge these telecommunication companies.
‘I hope now that justice will finally prevail.
‘It is not fair I put my lifelong ambition and every penny we had to open this business, just for the telecommunication companies to write it off as if it does not matter.
‘It is so unjust that these big giants do not have any conscience or consideration for small businesses.’
Debbie, from Croydon, says her health has suffered over the past decade because of the stress of the situation.
She said previously: ‘Before the boxes were installed, our annual revenue was between £70,000 and £80,000. After they were put there, it dropped to around £30,000.
‘This was almost immediate. There was a clear link.
‘The boxes block the restaurant from view. We used to depend on passing trade, but now, no potential customers can see the restaurant.
‘We’ve never been able to recover from it. It’s been so stressful.
‘In 2020, things got tough. I couldn’t afford rising bills – and the boxes were ruining business. I had a heart attack.
‘It was really, really hard. It’s emotional to think about.’
Ever since the boxes were first put outside Umana Yana, Debbie has been fighting to get them removed.
She has launched petitions, contacted politicians, and even presented her case at the Council Assembly, but Southwark Council only gave her a definite answer on October 8 – 12 years after the boxes first appeared.
Southwark Council said they had been trying to facilitate a resolution for ‘a number of years’ – but claimed that under government rules, telecom companies can install their boxes without planning permission from councils.
At a planning committee meeting, a council officer admitted that it was the ‘worse case’ he’d ever seen, Southwark News reported.
But when asked if the council would be removing them, he said ‘no’, claiming they had been installed ‘lawfully’.
Mrs Monfries expressed her appreciation for local residents – who have shown her huge support.
She said: ‘The customers who know about me support me and love the restaurant.
‘I was born in Guyana and so I cook authentic Guyanese food. When I started, I was filling a gap in the London market. I just hope I can continue to do so.’
The government now has two months to consider the petition for Umana Yana.
Commenting on the situation previously, Cllr Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for New Homes & Sustainable Development at Southwark Council, said: ‘We have been in support of the Umana Yana campaign – trying to facilitate a resolution with the telecom companies over a number of years whereby they remove their boxes.
‘Under government rules, telecom companies can install their boxes without planning permission from councils.
‘Since trying to help facilitate between all parties, we have always been clear that the boxes were lawfully installed and we join others in calling for councils to be given more power to act in these situations.
‘Different routes we have explored over the years have included looking into a meditator and advertising Umana Yana on the boxes with the telecom companies’ consent.
‘We have every sympathy for Umana Yana’s owner, which is why we put forward an Article 4 motion.
‘This requires telecom companies to ask us for planning permission to install their boxes, masts, and similar structures at this location, including any replacements.’
The proposal by the council will not affect the boxes which are currently in front of the restaurant, but Cllr Dennis said they could prevent more being added.
She added: ‘This week our planning committee has agreed to use Article 4 powers in an innovative way, so telecom companies cannot install more boxes outside the restaurant without applying for planning permission.
‘Although we hope this is a helpful step and will stop more boxes being installed it does not affect the existing lawfully installed boxes.’
Virgin has been contacted for comment.