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Seize chance to rid canal basin of ‘monstrous’ towers
• ALTHOUGH the planning applications for the two “monstrous” towers on top of the historic City Road Basin have been through the Islington’s planning system, they still have not got planning consent.
The Islington South Area Planning Committee approved both the projects, but the consents are conditional on the legal agreements and community benefits (called the Section 106 Agreements) being settled.
There has been a serious delay, which must raise doubts on whether these towers will ever go ahead.
The tallest 37-storey tower was approved two years ago in January 2005, and the other 28-storey tower was approved getting on for one year ago in February 2006.
Yet neither has received confirmation of consent.
Until the final consent has been given in writing, the South Area Planning Committee can re-consider the approval that was made under the stranglehold of the previous Lib Dem regime that was dominated by the unpopular and disagreeable former Leader of the Council, Steve Hitchens, who was thrown out at the last election.
There are several issues that were not considered properly and openly at the planning meetings, and there are a number of reasons for the committee to re-open the applications.
That is, apart from the flawed consultations, and the fact that there were only two councillors who turned up to the meetings (plus the Chair), and so some of the largest and most controversial tower developments in London were voted in by only three members.
As the consent letters have not been issued, the matter can be re-assessed and reconsidered by the committee without any penalty or legal sanction being imposed on the council by the developers.
However, if the planning consents are confirmed, it is then open to members of the public to challenge the consent in a Judicial Review. A challenge cannot be made until the consent is given, and there is a period of three months in which the action has to be launched. Apart from the towers being totally out of place and a blight on Islington’s environs, the plan for the basin includes uprooting the famous and successful Islington Boat Club which gives hundreds of young people a wonderful time.
They certainly need some improved facilities (they deserve that), but they do not want a complete upheaval.
There seems to be a great deal of opposition to the “monstrous” towers, and thank goodness there are two good opportunities for them to be got rid of.
We need to lobby the councillors, and start getting a community action co-ordinated, and a plan for fundraising, to rid us of these brutish buildings.
By the way, the public access around the basin can still be provided without these towers being built, since Islington has secured £2.2m from the government to provide the open space at the City Road end of our basin. That was well done, Islington.
DEL BRENNER
Regent’s Network and
a member of the London Waterways Commission
• IF Mr Illtyd Harrington (Hunt for profits is sucking canals dry, Dec 7) was partly responsible for opening up the canal towpaths through Camden and elsewhere, may I, as one who has enjoyed them ever since, express my gratitude.
However, I would like to draw attention to a problem that occurred a few months ago.
Much of the canal is now open all the time, and after a day wandering around Wiltshire on country buses I decided to return home from Paddington station by walking along the canal instead of going most of the way on a 46 or 187 bus as I have normally done in the past.
The most convenient exit from the canal is at Gloucester Avenue.
I was nearly there when I found the path blocked by a locked gate.
I had to turn back to the previous exit, at the eastern end of the Zoo. Just before I got there I encountered a couple, presumably off a boat, who were going the same way and who had a key to that gate which they were about to use.
Had I been a few seconds later I would have been stuck. How long would it have taken me to rouse someone with a key? Would I have had to spend all night there?
Can the British Waterways Board – or whoever is responsible – please take steps to ensure that nobody can be trapped this way in future, and without going back to locking the entire canal at night-time?
SIMON NORTON
Howitt Close, NW3
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