Helen Hayes MP brought a petition calling for the removal of five huge telecom boxes from outside a Herne Hill restaurant to Parliament yesterday.
The countdown has begun for Umana Yana owners, as their nearly 13-year plight to remove five huge telecom boxes from outside their shop was heard in the House of Commons on Wednesday 12 February.
Since 2012, the Guyanese eatery has operated in the shadow of the massive boxes that completely obstruct its view from the street.
Raised by Dulwich and West Norwood MP Helen Hayes, who claims to have supported the restaurant for the last decade, the petition has been signed by over 1,700 locals.
It not only asks for the boxes to be removed but also for the government to bring forward laws to ensure this doesn’t happen in future to other businesses.
In addition, it demands that businesses be ‘duly compensated’ by telecom companies for any disruption caused.
Umana Yana owners Debbie and Junior sat patiently in the public gallery as their local MP presented their struggle to the House of Commons.
Helen Hayes said: “Deborah’s restaurant serves delicious Guyanese food, and I would commend it to all members in this house, but it has suffered a detriment in recent years as a consequence of the installation of enormous telecommunications cabinets obscuring the view of the restaurant from passing customers.”
“The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons consider this issue and 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 that businesses are duly compensated by the telecoms companies for disruption.”
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The government now has two months to consider the petition.
Speaking exclusively to the News after the reading, Debbie said: “It was good to be there – we just have to wait now.”
Despite serving what many describe as “South London’s best rotis,” the lack of footfall due to the boxes means the restaurant has struggled to stay afloat. Southwark Council recently refused Debbie’s long-standing request to have the boxes removed, a decision that she described as “heartbreaking” after over a decade of campaigning.
The council just implemented a policy that limits the development rights of telecommunication companies, meaning they will have to request planning permission to erect any future infrastructure – but that doesn’t help Debbie.
Last summer, her fortunes began to change after her story went viral on TikTok, following a video by Southwark News highlighting her struggles.
Among the hundreds of thousands who saw the video was Central Cee, one of the UK’s most prominent rappers.
In a video produced by VICE, Central Cee made a surprise visit to Umana Yana, where he joined Debbie in her kitchen to learn how to cook traditional Guyanese dishes, including chana curry, chicken curry, and paratha roti. She shared her special spice blends while playfully encouraging the rapper to improve his cooking habits and ditch the ‘instant noodles.’
After his visit, Central Cee announced a £15,000 donation to support the restaurant’s cause. He explained over text that £10,000 was to buy the solar panels she had been fundraising for, to reduce its steep electricity costs, while the remaining £5,000 was to be used to fund meals for people in need.
Debbie said that she was happy to hear other MPs knew of the restaurant and before the petition reading in the House of Commons, they had asked Helen ‘Is that the one the rapper went to?’
She and Junior await the next steps and said they were hopeful. “By April we should get a definite answer,” Debbie added.
Helen Hayes MP for Dulwich and West Norwood commented: “I am really pleased to present the petition in support of Umana Yana to Parliament this evening. Umana Yana has faced unacceptable disruption to their trade as a result of the installation of telecommunications cabinets immediately outside the premises.
“Thank you to everyone who signed the petition both in person and online.
“I’ve been supporting Debbie since 2015 but the telecommunications companies have refused to move their cabinets. Because the cabinets have been legally installed, there is currently nothing that can be done to enforce their removal.
“The petition rightly calls for legislation to protect small businesses like Umana Yana from telecommunications infrastructure and for fair compensation from telecom companies for disruption and loss of trade. I hope that the Government acts in response to the petition and I will continue to work with Debbie to support her business.”
We asked MP Hayes what she had done to help Umana Yana over the years. She said: “During that time, the focus has been on understanding the process that led to the cabinets being installed, seeking legal advice on the installation and lobbying the telecommunications companies who are responsible for the cabinets.”
