Oasis owner Yehia El-Nemer was told he would have to shut up shop a year go

PLANS for a new cafe in Highbury Fields have been scrapped this week, one year after the council told the previous owner that he would have to shut up shop for the transformation.

Yehia El-Nemer had run Oasis Cafe in Highbury Fields for 23 years before the council ordered him to close his business last summer so that they could tear down the building and build a new one.

But the Town Hall has now branded building a new cafe as “not affordable”.

Mr El-Nemer said: “I think it’s really ridiculous because now there’s not going to be a cafe in Highbury Fields. The council have been messing me around for 22 years, and the community keep asking me what is going on. The council haven’t contacted me since I closed. They know how disappointed I was and how disappointed the whole community has been.”

He added: “It’s ridiculous what they’re doing and the community is not going to accept it. The community has been waiting and waiting and it’s all lies.”

Mr El-Nemer was told that he could apply for the contract to run the new cafe once it was built, and says has been working on an application in the year since his business closed.

“No one has been in touch to tell me that they are not building the new cafe. This is the first time I am hearing of this. They are suppose to be honest. They should feel ashamed for what they are doing and they should tell me ‘alright you can carry on until however many years until we find the money’.”

Cllr Caroline Russell

Highbury councillor Caroline Russell said: “It’s very worrying that over a decade of design, community consultation and preparation work is going to waste now the council has announced the long-planned Highbury Fields cafe building is not going ahead.”

She added: “In the short term it’s good the boarded-up park-keeper’s bungalow, tired cafe building and derelict bandstand are being demolished so the park can be restored, giving people access to more green space, and as a longtime campaigner for more public toilets, I’m delighted the new toilets will go ahead.

“The Highbury councillors are working hard to make the best of this situation, but remain incredibly disappointed and urge the council to reflect and learn lessons.”

Councillor Rowena Champion, Islington’s environment chief, said: “We’re committed to maximising the potential of our parks and green spaces as welcoming areas for all, which is why we extensively consulted with the community about a range of improvements to Highbury Fields, including a new café.

“Unfortunately, since carrying out that consultation, both material and construction costs have risen exponentially.”

She added: “Despite our best efforts to work with the contractors to reduce the costs, including ex­ploring design changes, the current design for the café building has proven unaffordable.

“We understand how disappointing this will be to residents – especially those that participated in the consultation.

“We will be delivering high-quality, accessible facilities for all in Highbury Fields – including new public toilets with a changing places toilet, a new park keeper’s office and store, as well as a dedicated area to support a fixed or mobile food and drink offer. These works will be starting in February 2026.”