Labour’s Alice Perry says “we need to fight for our community”
Alice is a governor at St Andrews primary school ... where she was a pupil herself
It’s polling day tomorrow (Thursday 11th August) in the St Peter’s by-election for a seat on Islington Council. Labour’s candidate is Alice Perry who was born and grew-up in the heart of our neighbourhood. She went to school here and still lives in a flat on the Cally Road a street away from her parents’ home.
On the eve-of-poll, Alice writes a heartfelt statement about why Islington needs to change.
“In some ways Islington has been transformed almost beyond recognition from the place where I grew up. But I remember, as a child, the days of going to a crumbling school and seeing good people struggling to make ends meet. While, I didn’t completely understand why at the time, it is clear to me that Tory policies caused this and I fear the same might happen again… and as before our community will be abandoned by the Government.
“When the Lib Dems ran the Council they tried to block free school meals, whilst spending taxpayers’ money on hanging flower baskets on Upper Street. The Lib Dems simply don’t see the borough’s inequality as a blight that must be tackled urgently. I am standing to be a Councillor because I do.”
“I do not accept that thousands of Islington residents should live in overcrowded housing. I do not accept that thousands of children should grow up in abject poverty in jobless households. I do not accept that someone on the Packington Estate should have a life 15 years shorter than someone in Putney. One of my political heroes Ken Livingstone has demonstrated how local government can be a powerful force for improving the lives of ordinary people. Islington’s Labour Council has the power to effect the changes that should have been made long ago.”
“One of my best friends went to Islington Green School. He left with no qualifications. He couldn’t hold down a job and got into trouble with the police. Then Labour’s New Deal paid for him to do an art course at City Lit. He then did an art foundation and a fortnight ago graduated with a BA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins. A world of career opportunities is now open to him. Labour made this possible. Labour policies transformed his life. Yet too many young people in Islington are condemned to a bleak future. Too many are not in education, training or work. The Conservative government’s policies are hitting young people very hard. As a councillor I would support practical solutions that counter this. I would support community schemes that aim to pull people out of the cycle of poverty that sees many trapped.”
“It is heartbreaking to see how my primary school classmates from poorer backgrounds have aged so much faster than have the children from middle class families. People’s lives are cut short from smoking, poor diets and inadequate housing. I am proud of the council’s excellent policy offering all primary school children a hot, nutritious, free school meal. I am proud that despite massive budget cuts Islington is building thousands of new homes.”
“I am standing as the Labour candidate in the ward where Boris Johnson lives. For the first time in 20 years it is a straight fight between Labour and the Tories. It is vital to send a strong message to the Tory-led government and the Mayor of London – that our community rejects their unfair cuts, which hurt the poorest the hardest.”
She concludes saying “we are living in scary, uncertain times. Right now, the riots throughout London and UK are terrifying. But our city has a future and that is why this by-election is important. We need to stand up for equality; we need to fight for our community.”
Catherine West, Leader of Islington Council, has condemned the criminal damage and destruction
Islington police kept order and the Borough was calm last night (Monday, 8th August) whilst shocking incidents of rioting, arson and looting occurred elsewhere throughout London. On Sunday night, there had been minor attacks on shops in the Caledonian Road and Holloway Road and reports of aggressive behaviour by gangs of teenagers around the Angel.
Overnight the police have reassured residents and shopkeepers that Safer Neighbourhood teams are out patrolling as usual and rapid response teams will be also out patrolling and responding to calls from the public. Police reinforcements have been brought-in from outside London so that local police teams are not drawn away from their home patch if further major incidents occur.
The Leader of Islington Council, Cllr Catherine West, attended a civil emergencies meeting with police and fire chiefs on Monday and afterwards said she “totally condemns the criminal damage and destruction which sadly spread into Islington last night. There can be no justification for these acts.” She thanked the police “for all their hard work in containing trouble” and added that her “thoughts were with our neighbours in Haringey as they begin to rebuild their community following much more serious disturbances.”
Yesterday afternoon and this morning (Tuesday 9th August) Islington Council’s leadership has been visiting affected parts of the Borough helping with reassurance. Executive Councillor Cllr Richard Watts has echoed the calls of the acting Metropolitan Police Commissioner and urged all parents to “keep all our young people safe and out of trouble by keeping them in tonight.”
On the Cally, local councillors have been visiting businesses after shopkeepers closed-up early yesterday evening on fears of further trouble. Cllr Paul Convery said “I’m glad there has been no repeat of Sunday’s minor disturbance when one shop on the Cally was raided by youths and alcohol stolen. Shopkeepers are naturally worried but we all need to remain calm. The Council is doing business as normal, waste collections, street sweeping and all other public services are operating as usual.”
New zebra crossing for accident hotspot on York Way
Hundreds of new homes will shortly be completed alongside this section of York Way
After a campaign led by local Councillors and residents, a new zebra crossing is planned for a dangerous part of York Way.
The new crossing would be located on a section of York Way that was rebuilt in 2005 to replace a length of victorian railway viaduct. But the new road was engineered to a high-speed specification that causes traffic to accelerate quickly.
The conditions are worsened because two bus stops are located near the brow of a curve and slight incline in the highway. This turns the proposed crossing location into a blind spot for many drivers.
York Way is the boundary between Islington (to the east) and Camden (on the west side). Islington residents leaving the northbound 390 bus service face a very hazardous road crossing; and in a few months time, when several hundred new apartment homes on the Camden side are completed, a similar dangerous crossing will be created for people aiming to get a southbound bus service.
Councillor Paul Convery says “I am very pleased the Council can proceed with a new crossing point on York Way. I remain concerned that further measures may be needed to slow-down traffic on this stretch of road. Otherwise a zebra crossing may not be a sufficiently safe way to cross. I am therefore also pressing to ensure there is a decent sized ‘island’ refuge in the mid point of the new crossing.
“This section of highway was designed by someone with little real understanding of how to engineer an inner city residential road. It often feels like a suburban bypass that was built for speed not pedestrian safety.
“York Way is a problem road for many reasons – not least because Islington is not the highway authority – it is Camden’s responsibility so decisions on making York Way more safe are complicated by having to deal with a different local authority.”
Caledonian Road tube station gains heritage listing
Probably the most distinctive building on the Caledonian Road
Caledonian Road underground station has been granted Grade II listed status. In a landmark announcement, sixteen London Underground stations have been granted this protected status reflecting their unique design and contribution to the life of London.
All the stations have historic and architectural significance, illustrating the development of the capital’s Underground system. Many were designed by Leslie Green whose ‘ox-blood’ red tile facades, pioneered the use of a strong and consistent corporate image which has become recognised around the world.
Caledonian Road station is an exceptionally well preserved example of Green’s design and is probably the most distinctive building on the entire Caledonian Road.
Caledonian Ward Councillor Rupert Perry says “this is undoubtedly one of the finest surviving Picadilly Line stations but it is not the only one. Holloway Road station is an equally good example and – more pertinently – so is the York Way tube station which has been closed for many years but which is a strong candidiate for re-opening when the Kings Cross railway lands are redeveloped.”
Cally Festival is all set for Sunday July 3rd
Get ready to clear the traffic and pave the street in people!
The Cally Festival is shaping-up to be a memorable and place-changing event as the whole community pulls together to celebrate the great neighbourhood where we live.
Caledonian Road will be completely closed to traffic between Offord Road and Richmond Avenue for the Cally Festival on Sunday 3rd July. Ever single vehicle will be removed by early morning and for a day the whole street will be reclaimed for kids, parents, visitors, shoppers and revellers.
Described by the organisers as a “pop-up” event, the festival will result in the street being lined with over 70 independent market traders and local shops selling a range of products from designer-maker crafts to home-made cakes.
There will be a live music stage with exciting acts spanning across the genres of rock n’ roll, funk, tropical pop, world music and gospel. Islington’s finest authentic foods can be sampled in the Food Village with a delicious variety of food from all corners of the world to wet your taste buds. All our food traders are ethically-minded, using organic and fresh produce.
Children will be entertained in the Kids’ Zone, with an eclectic mix of activities from circus to craft workshops and storytelling in the tipi. A bouncy castle and some traditional games such as hooking ducks and a coconut shy should keep them occupied for hours on end.
If you’re feeling energetic, you can join in one-on-one football and Wii Fit Tennis, or watch some impressive tricks at the skateboard demo. And tennis fans need not miss out – the Wimbledon finals will be shown live on a large outdoor screen by our grassy patch, provided of course with strawberries!
Rupert Perry says “I’m really looking forward to July 3rd. There’s a great energetic buzz about the organisation of the festival. It’s shaping-up to give Cally’s shops and businesses their best single boost in a generation.”
The festival is being organised by neighbourhood groups including Team Cally and supported by numerous businesses and organisations.
For latest news about the festival, there is an almost non-stop Twitter feed available at http://twitter.com/#!/TheCallyFest. For slightly more sedate online information go to the festival website at http://thecallyfestival.com/thecallyfestival/about
The powers granted to the police allow them to remove any group of people gathered within the dispersal zone (shown above) who are involved in antisocial behaviour or causing trouble or problems for other people.
Local Councillors have backed the extension of a dispersal order covering the Bemerton estate and Thornhill square which began in mid February. It will remain in force until 16th August 2011.
The dispersal order and extra police patrolling have led to a reduction in calls to the police across the area. But there is still a significant level of anti-social behaviour, vandalism and low level crime.
The Cally remains a place where young people congregate from different parts of the Borough. Recently there have been incidents caused by escalating tension between two groups of outsiders.
The police have recently made arrests and sought further orders against identified young people. Identified young people have been traced to their parents’ homes and warning letters issued and Acceptable Behaviour Contracts drawn-up. Homes for Islington and Housing Associations are working closely with the police to bring tenancy enforcement action against the parents of those involved. The Council’s Park Guard officers have been closely involved in patrolling.
Cllr Paul Convery comments “As summer approaches we must stop the Cally becoming a recreation zone for kids from all over the Borough. Scarcely any of the kids causing trouble on the Cally live here. Many families and other young people are seriously intimidated by these gangs of young teenagers. We are determined to take tough action against anti-social behaviour and criminal damage on the Bemerton and adjoining areas.”
Improvements are still needed to the estate but demolition is not the right way to “regenerate”
Islington Council’s leadership has decided that the Bemerton estate will not be demolished. The news was broken last night when the two Executive Councillors responsible, Paul Convery and James Murray, told a large public meeting on the estate that comprehensive redevelopment will not happen.
In January 2010, the previous Lib Dem administration started an “options study” which examined whether the estate might be sold-off to a private developer or housing association.
In May last year, Labour took control of the Council and decided to rule-out any sell-off but agreed to let the study continue and to begin a public consultation. But Labour’s team added a condition – any redevelopment scheme would have to provide extra affordable homes on the estate.
After a long public consultation, residents on the estate weighed up the pros and cons of what a redevelopment of their estate could offer. Over 250 responses were received (representing about a third of homes on the estate) and the Council has carefully considered the widely diverging views of residents.
Although there was considerable interest expressed in some sort of redevelopment there was no categoric support for either of the two options suggested. These would have required demolition of between two thirds and 100% of the estate. In the current tough financial climate, such a scheme would have required over 350 high cost “for-sale” homes to finance it. And the scheme would have provided very little extra affordable housing.
Without clear and unambiguous support from residents, Councillors have decided the project should not continue and there will be no redevelopment scheme worked-up. The Council will officially take the decision at the June meeting of the 8 member Executive committee.
The Council will now take forward an alternative regeneration option that will improve public spaces on the estate – and will also include the redevelopment of the Lyon Street area housing office to provide affordable housing, once the current housing office moves to Highbury Corner in August.
“We have ruled-out a comprehensive redevelopment, permanently” said Cllr Paul Convery. “Much of the estate is in good condition and most people like their homes. We were not presented with a compelling case for redevelopment and there plainly was no clear, widespread support on the estate. However, we are going to find every way possible to upgrade the surroundings of the estate, improve security and continue to work with police, youth services and residents to rid the estate of its anti-social behaviour problem. And we are going to look carefully at small sites on and around the estate where new affordable homes can be built. We shall be talking to and listening carefully to residents and to the tenant management organisation BVMO at every stage over the coming months.”
Papeos nightclub – enforcement action to continue
Pappeos nightclub at 169-171 Caledonian Road
Planning enforcement action is underway to prevent the venue known as “Pappeos” (at 169 Caledonian Road) from operating as a nightclub. Why? Because people live above, next door and opposite to this venue. And it’s loud. Very loud.
We first described the problems at this venue in February 2010 when the operators were using a loophole in the legislation to bypass the usual requirements to hold a license for music and alcohol sales. Then in early Summer last year, the operators managed to wangle a license out of the Council but a few days later they went out of business when the landlord issued an eviction.
The same operators mysteriously re-appeared in November 2010 and sought a planning application to extend the hours to 4am at weekends. Just before Christmas this was refused and a temporary stop order was issued by the Council to block parties over the holiday period.
But this is not just about the hours of operation. The venue does not have a valid planning permission. It is only permitted for use as “cafe/bar, banqueting suite with dancing, meetings and conferences”. This is technically known as Use Class A3.
It does not have permission for Use Class A4 “Drinking establishments – Public houses, wine bars or other drinking establishments”. And it definitely does not have permission to be used as a “Nightclub” which is another use class altogether.
The operators themselves admit the premises are being used as a “wine and cocktail bar”. But it also very obvious the venue is operating on some evenings as a nightclub. The operator when seeking a licence last year verbally conceded that the music, dance and alcohol licence was sought for “nightclub” use. The venue therefore does not have planning permission either to operate as a wine bar or as a club with live music.
Green civic plaque honours the Keskidee Centre
Some of the well-wishers and Keskidee regulars joined MPs and Councillors to celebrate unveiling the Keskidee's green civic plaque
The historic role of the former Keskidee Centre on Gifford Street was marked on Thursday 7th April with the unveiling of a green civic plaque. Council Leader, Catherine West and Labour MP for Tottenham, David Lammy spoke at the unveiling ceremony which coincided with the 40th anniversary of the Keskidee’s opening.
Named after a singing Caribbean bird, it was founded by Guyanese-born Oscar Abrams in 1971. Keskidee was Britain’s first black arts and cultural centre, it forged new ground for a generation of black British poets, actors, artists and directors.
It had its own drama company, artists in residence and was a hub for African and Afro-Caribbean politics and arts, as well as a creative nursery for homegrown talent. It also catered for the needs of local youth and gave a generation of black teenagers a space of their own.
Linton Kwesi Johnson, educational officer at the centre, created dub poetry there. In 1978, reggae legend Bob Marley filmed his 1978 video for Is This Love there with seven-year-old Naomi Campbell featuring in the shoot. The building is now the “Wosem” church serving a West African evangelical Christian congregation.
In his speech to a crowd thronging the street, David Lammy observed that “as the son of Guyanese parents” he was honoured to unveil the plaque because the Keskidee had “marked a turning point in our history”.
Paul Convery and Rupert Perry attended the unveiling along with other local Councillors including Raphael Andrews, one of the Labour Councillors in Clerkenwell who was a regular attendee at Keskidee when he was a youngster.
Paul, who lives on Gifford Street, says “Oscar Abrams was one of the first locals I met when I came to Islington in 1979. He was an inspirational pioneer amongst the first generation of Black Londoners. The Keskidee made a great contribution to the rich multi-cultural identity of our city.”
More about the Keskidee
Islington’s Local History Centre created an exhibition for Black History Month in 2009 and short history of the Keskideed produced for the exhibition is available by clicking here.
The oral historian Alan Dein produced a programme about the Keskidee which was broadcast in May 2009 and an MP3 recording of the programme can be downloaded byclicking here (this is a 13Mb audio file).
The under-used building which is the subject of controversy
Islington Council’s independent Standards Committee has dismissed all complaints against Councillors Paul Convery and Rupert Perry which were made in June 2010 by the Trustee of a charity that owns the “National Heritage Library” at 313-315 Caledonian Road.
In April 2010, Labour’s team for Caledonian Ward in an article on this website criticised the under-use and dilapidation of the building. The article said the building should be brought back into community use and criticised the stewardship of the building by a charitable trust which appeared not to be meeting its stated charitable objectives.
The Councillors also criticised the Council, under its previous administration, for letting the building’s owners claim 100% relief from business rates.
The Standards committee concluded that Rupert and Paul’s comments “regarding the stewardship of the building and the administration of the charity responsible for the building were either substantially true or the Councillors had reasonable grounds for believing that the comments were true and honestly held that belief.”
The Islington Tribune newspaper has reported the story in detail and summarised the comprehensive investigation’s conclusion saying that Rupert and Paul had substantiated their allegations or had spoken in good faith.
Rupert is reported saying that, now the investigation is over, work could begin on bringing the building back into regular public use. He said “It would make a very good community centre.”
An official summary of the findings and the Committee’s decision has been published by the Islington Standards Committee. The decision note of the committee on 28th March is here; and an extract of the investigating officer’s report is here.
Labour Councillors representing Caledonian Ward in Islington 