A popular fish and chip shop in Greenwich has received thousands of messages of support after their recently painted mural was ordered to be removed by the council.
The Golden Chippy, located on Greenwich High Road and run by owner Chris Kanizi, first opened in 2004 serving traditional fish and chips along with other staples like pies and chicken dishes.
In recent months the business welcomed the addition of a mural to one of the outer walls of the building, although its future is currently uncertain after Greenwich Council requested its removal.
The mural, costing Chris a total of £250, features a design of a cartoon fish waiving a Union Jack Flag with the words “A Great British Meal” written alongside it.
Since the mural was first painted earlier this year customers have “loved seeing it.”
Chris said: “They love it, not just customers but also locals and tourists.
“It puts a smile on everybody's face, there are so many international customers coming from all over the world and they're standing in front of this mural taking pictures.”
However, the 65-year-old was informed by Greenwich Council on March 13 that the mural would need to be removed due to it being deemed as “inappropriate advertising.”
But Chris told News Shopper that he doesn’t believe the mural to be an advertisement despite these claims.
Chris said: “It doesn't say 'Golden Chippy' on it, it says 'A Great British Meal'.
“So as far as I'm concerned, you've just got a humanoid fish there, and a Union Jack, and it's a celebration for fish and chips, a celebration for British fish and chips, that's all.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for Greenwich Council said that the decision to request its removal was made due to it being painted “without permission” in a conservation area.
They added that the owner would be welcome to apply for advert consent in compliance with the area the business falls under.
The Golden Chippy is rated as the number one fish and chip shop in all of London with an impressive five-star rating on TripAdvisor.
Since the news of the planned removal of the mural, Chris has had support from a host of people from “all over the world”, with people as far as Australia and Canada contacting him in response to the news.
Chris said: ”It's not just customers, it's the whole of the United Kingdom it seems, ringing me up offering their full support.
“I’ve had phone calls all the way from Perth, Scotland, just everywhere in the country. I must be getting about over 150 Instagram messages a day.
“I expected there to be a lot of support, but not this much, I’ve probably had over 2,000 messages in total.”
Chris told News Shopper that he is currently seeking advice from a solicitor regarding next steps for the mural and its future.
A spokesperson for the Royal Borough of Greenwich said: “You may have seen several headlines over the weekend about a business in Greenwich.
“Whilst it’s not always appropriate to comment on individual cases, contrary to reports this has nothing to do with the Union Flag or any of the painting’s contents.
"The advert has been painted, without any permission, in a conservation area, close to a World Heritage Site. The Council is acting according to Government planning laws, as it would with any unauthorised advert.
“Any suggestions this is because of the Union Flag are disingenuous and untrue. The business owner is welcome to apply for advert consent in line with the conservation area he is in."
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