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Leave site empty rather than cram in more flats
• ANDREW Cornwell’s resignation from Islington Council executive and the slimness of the Lib Dem majority obviously give the establishment parties plenty to speculate on regarding which way Islington’s new “kingmaker” will jump, but let’s hope they can still manage to keep their minds on the ball for the actual business of running the council.
For example, Arsenal’s latest proposal for Queensland Road goes to the east area planning committee on December 15, and once again it is trying to bulldoze through an excessive overdevelopment which would be inappropriate in so many ways it’s hard to know where to start describing it.
The new proposal would cram in hundreds more flats than the original outline approval, at a far higher density than acceptable under the London Plan or Islington’s own planning guidelines – and consequently with far less open space than recommended. What is the point of consulting on and drawing up planning strategies if developers are then allowed to ride roughshod all over them?
The proposed social housing, while invaluable, would be ghettoised into a single block, rather than distributed throughout the development. Commercial space has now almost completely disappeared, so that hardly any new job opportunities will be created – despite commitments as part of the original compulsory purchase orders that the hundreds of jobs displaced by the stadium would be replaced.
No mention is made of match-day coach parking, which was originally to be here, so presumably Arsenal and the developers would prefer to just carry on dumping this all over the rest of Highbury. The replacement JVC Sports Centre, while obviously welcome, appears to propose five-a-side football pitches which are smaller than Sport England’s recommended minimum dimensions, and arranged in such a way that they could never be used together as a larger pitch.
The developers are apparently offering to provide a derisory one per cent of energy-use in the development from on-site renewables, against Islington’s requirement for a minimum of 20 per cent.
It looks as if the developers assume that, because the housing market has fallen so dramatically, they should somehow be allowed to cram in more flats to make their numbers stack up, and to ignore environmental obligations as if they were merely an optional “add-on”.
But our councillors’ job is to look after our borough, not the unrealistic profit dreams of private companies, hatched when the market was booming. Highbury would be better served by the site standing empty, if necessary, until developers have adjusted to the new market conditions and worked out how to make a more appropriate, lower-density scheme work – perhaps accessing some of the government’s proposed market-priming funds to include a higher proportion of social housing. Rather than rushing into an excessive and overcrowded option which will permanently damage the area.
If you’re concerned about this scheme, try to get along to the public meeting at the Voluntary Resource Centre, 365 Holloway Road, from 7pm to 8.30pm on Wednesday, December 10. And if you can’t be there, let your councillors (of whichever party) know in advance how you feel about the plans.
Andrew Myer
Green Party Highbury Team
Horsell Road, N5
• I DON’T think the consultation process for Arsenal FC’s planning application relating to Queensland Road has been long enough or adequately publicised in view of the impact the proposal would have on the area.
I object in particular to the height of the proposed buildings. This is not an area in which high buildings are appropriate. The few that exist are eyesores.
That raises the question of adding to the density of population in this neighbourhood, which already has a high density with few green spaces, few off-road parking spaces and a lack of medical facilities as well as other forms of social provision.
I hope the council rejects the application as it stands.
Charles Palliser
Highbury Hill, N5
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