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Artist’s impression of how the flats development will look |
Housing office will shut to make way for flats
Pledge to retain Finsbury base amid fears of move to central HQ
A VITAL housing office, which provides information and benefits-processing services, is being shut down.
The centre, in Central Street, Finsbury, is the third of six borough-wide offices to be closed by Homes for Islington (HfI) in recent months.
Developer Central Street Partnership plans to build 274 flats on the sprawling Central Street site, which also houses a police vehicle garage. The development of between three and nine storeys would include 6,471 square metres of commercial space.
The closure of the Central Street office follows the axing of offices in Isledon Road, Finsbury Park and Boleyn Road, Islington.
Campaigners fear the closures mark a move towards the housing service being based in a centrally-managed office. But the council has said it is committed to maintaining a housing office in Finsbury.
Brian Potter, former chairman of Upper Street area housing panel, believes the closures will be costly for pensioners and those on low incomes who can walk to their nearest office at present but will now have to make up to four bus journeys.
He said: “I predicted this ages ago, but no one listens. There has been no consultation on this and we should have been told many months ago.
“If you keep closing everything down, you lose touch with people.”
A public consultation into the proposed flats development was launched earlier this month. Proposals are expected to go before the council’s south area planning committee later this year.
The plans include a 42 per cent element of affordable housing, below the council’s 50 per cent target.
Housing campaigner Leo Chapman, who lives in Finsbury, is pleased that 16.4 per cent of the development will be three and four-bedroom family housing.
He added: “My campaign in the last two years for much more family housing seems to be bearing fruit. I objected continually to developments with scant family housing.”
Parking spaces and landscaped gardens are included in the plans.
Lib Dem councillor Terry Stacy, Islington’s housing chief, said: “The housing office at Central Street will remain open for at least the next three years.
“When the time comes for it to move, the council will assist HfI in finding new accommodation locally, and there will be plenty of time to consult tenants and make suitable arrangements to accommodate their needs.
“The council and HfI are committed to providing a locally-based housing service.” |
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