| |
Bring shutters down on this ‘culture of decay’ talk
• YOUR article would have the readers believe Archway and its surroundings are a place best to be avoided, plagued, as some would wish us to believe, by litter, drunken youths and a general decline into seediness (Planners urged to halt decline by bringing in the developers, July 27).
While I would be the first to admit there is a lot that needs to be done at Archway and that bringing forward a comprehensive redevelopment as soon as possible, in line with residents’ wishes, is something that is highly desirable, I would not for a moment subscribe to the view that “a culture of decay” is about to overwhelm us.
Nor would I say that residents or shopkeepers are under siege from drunken youths or other anti-social behaviour.
Archway, like most inner London centres, suffers from some behaviour we would all rather see not happen. But far from being a dangerous place, it is one of the safer areas of Islington and indeed London.
Our crime figures show this and it is testimony to our Safer Neighbourhoods police team and the various departments of the council which put in no small effort to keep it so.
As to neglect, the major streets in and around Archway have recently or are currently having new paving installed. St John’s Way and Junction Road have just been resurfaced, as have some of the neighbouring smaller streets.
The “triangle” of greenery is having a facelift and new lighting installed even as we speak and we are already in consultation with residents and local representative groups, such as Better Archway Forum (BAF) and the market as to how best to handle the work around the multi-million pound investment by Transport for London to give Archway station “step-free” access.
There are not many such stations on the deep Underground at the moment, and such an investment, which allows accessibility to those who have been denied the use of the Tube for so long, is to be truly welcomed. Archway is one of the first stations to receive such treatment.
As to the question of shutters, most shops in the UK, let alone Archway, will tell you the same as our traders do: that break-ins do occur and that the police recommend, and insurers require, adequate means of securing the premises when they are not occupied.
Whether heavy shutters are appropriate for a particular area is open to discussion. Lighter, open shutters that do the job as well are preferable to most people I would think, but the best deterrent to crime in any area is for our streets not to become empty the moment the shops shut. I would agree with BAF that a mixed, thriving economy for Archway is the best way forward and is to be encouraged.
To paraphrase my Liberal Democrat ward colleague, I’m proud to live in Islington and, in my case for over half a century, I have always said Archway is a great place to live in.
I cannot, and will not, be party to any view other than that.
CLLR STEFAN KASPRZYK
Lib Dem, Junction ward
|
 |
|
| |
| Your Comments : |
| |
| |
| |
