Art boss has designs on regeneration

THE man dubbed the picture framer to the stars, with clients including David Hockney, Damian Hirst and the late Francis Bacon, is part of a massive £30million proposed development aimed at regenerating Finsbury Park.
John Jones, 62, this week launched the scheme which will include a new £9million six-storey framing workshop behind Finsbury Park station, on a site where he currently employs a staff of 80 in a two-storey building.
He is a partner with developers, Spiritbond Finsbury Park Ltd.
As well as the workshop, they want to build accommodation for 475 students along with 15 affordable flats and two shops on the site at 2-14 Morris Place.
The public were able to study details for the scheme that will occupy almost two acres of mainly industrial space off Stroud Green Road, at an exhibition by developers on Tuesday.
People will be able to lodge objections to the entire scheme when an outline planning application is submitted to Islington council for approval in the new year.
Mr Jones’s life is very much a rags-to-riches story.
Islington born and bred, he left school in Stroud Green at 16 with no qualifications to set up a picture framers with his brother in their garden shed in Essex Road.
Today the family firm has a £5million turnover and is responsible for framing some of the world’s masterpieces, including those at the Tate Gallery.
Mr Jones runs the company with his two sons Matt and Kristian and his daughter Kelly. “We’re a family business with our heart set in Finsbury Park. When we first came here 25 years ago we had a staff of 25. Today there are 80 of us and our current workshop of 38,000 sq feet is no longer big enough.
“Finsbury Park is beginning to improve after years of being in the doldrums. The railway station regeneration was the first big improvement to the area. We hope our scheme will also add to the improvements.”
The scheme is one of three major developments being planned for the area.
The other is City North, involving Paul Morris, whose family founded Islington Business Design Centre at the Angel. That scheme involves a large homes and shops development off Fonthill Road.
A third scheme is the redevelopment of the five-storey former Sense Building in Fonthill Road to include two theatres.
Finsbury Park Labour councillor Phil Kelly said: “I’m very pleased that suddenly there are major plans to improve an area which has been neglected for many years. All these schemes will have to be judged on their merit when they come to planning committee.”
PETER GRUNER