A convenience store "missed by the community" for nearly two years after a fire is set to open tomorrow (March 28).

The roof of the Londis store in Shenfield Road, Woodford Green, was completely destroyed in the blaze in July 2013 caused by an electrical fault.

Owner of the building, Dinesh Patel, said the delay was due to a dispute over insurance and he always intended to re-open the shop.

He claims he has not received a penny since the fire and he had paid for the repairs and re-opening out of his own pocket.

Mr Patel said: “I am relieved that we can finally open the shop again after a long and hard battle.

“I had to fund the rebuilding costs all myself but it is so important to get the shop open as the community is missing it and I am passionate about it.

“There have been lots of rumours flying around that I was going to convert the whole of the building into flats but that is not true, it has always been my intention to open the shop again."

 

East London and West Essex Guardian Series: Fire destroys floor above Woodford Green convenience shop

The fire completely destroyed the roof of the flats above the shop in July 2013.

 

Woodford Green MP Iain Duncan Smith joined local councillors in calling for the shop to reopen last year, with residents speaking out about the "eyesore" the site had become.

Mr Patel is now hoping to get planning permission from Redbridge council to convert the top two floors into three flats to help finance the shop’s re-opening.

He recalls that at the time of the fire, in the height of the 2013 summer, he was in Northampton at his nephew’s engagement party.

He said: “I got a phone call from the shopkeeper who told me there was a small fire, I rushed back but by the time I got here there were 15 fire engines and it had spread so quickly.

“I hope the community will support the store and make it the success it was before the fire.”

Shopkeeper Vasudev Vaghela will open the Londis store tomorrow morning.