The office of the Mayor of Newham continues to be besieged by criticism over the Kebab Gate-gate controversy.
The project, announced in February by Sir Robin, Mayor of Newham and Prince of Wales, will see the archways at either end of High Street North in East Ham replaced by gates constructed using scale-model kofta kebabs. The project is part of a wider scheme to improve the image of the borough’s eateries, after Newham’s takeaways were found to have the lowest hygiene scores in the country, again.
However, the scheme has been dubbed “ugly” and is under fire from all quarters. Local vegetarian groups and residents living in sight of the gates were quick to organise a local campaign against them. Now local councillors from across political parties have taken aim at Sir Robin, calling the gates a vanity project.
Today, after weeks of growing criticism, the project’s main sponsors, Kababish, have pulled out. This leaves Sir Robin with a dilemma: scrap the project or raise council tax to pay for it.
The mayor’s cause will not be helped by high profile figures weighing in to the debate. Earlier, East Ham rapper, Kano, poked fun at the scheme on Twitter:
A spokesperson for local campaigners said “the scheme shouldn’t have got this far in the first place. If taxes are raised to pay for it, there’ll be riots on the street. But even if the scheme is dropped now, Kebab Gate-gate leaves a bad taste in the mouth”.
Kebab Gate facts
- Each gate will be constructed using four model 30:1 scale kofta kebabs. It will have a maximum elevation of 4 meters
- Lifespan of up to 30 years
- The kebabs will not be edible
The East Hammer 