Knife hand-in scheme is a success
Over the last year, 100 weapons have been surrendered anonymously into a secure knife bin at All Saints Church on Caledonian Road. In a unique experiment, the church has been the first non-police location in the country to accept handed-in knives.
The success of this scheme was inspired by Rev Martyn Saunders. He stepped forward after the London-based Christian charity Word 4 Weapons asked a church to participate in an amnesty scheme.
All Saints Church - a modest building with a big mission
Since All Saints launched the scheme last year another eight knife bins have been established in community locations in London.
Like everyone in this neighbourhood, Rev Saunders was shocked by the recent deaths and wounding of young people in the Borough.
He decided to something about it. Martyn is quoted in this week’s Islington Tribune saying that two weapons a week may not sound like a lot. But he says the numbers add up and these weapons “have been taken off the street and out of harm’s way”.
He also says that “People carry knives for self defence or because they want to appear tough. They need to realise that it only takes an argument that gets out of hand and suddenly someone is injured or dying. The person wielding the knife then faces a very long time in prison. It’s just not worth it.”
Rupert Perry adds “Martyn is an outstanding faith leader in our community who makes it his mission to secure simple achievable benefits to our community. He is also being characteristically understated about the numbers. A hundred knives off the street is an enormous achievement. We’ve seen too many knife fatalities and injuries in this neighbourhood and every effort we can all make to stop knife crime is a benefit to us all. ”
Sparkplug – a new youth facility in the neighbourhood
Construction work is well underway to re-house an outstanding youth project in the heart of Caledonian Ward. For the last 10 years Sparkplug has provided off-road motorcycle training and a range of positive activities for local young people.
In addition to accredited mechanic courses, Sparkplug offers a youth club, riding trips and competitive off-road rallying – all of which improve employability, develop social and emotional skills and reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.
- The new building should be finished mid Summer 2010
Without Sparkplug, many of the youngsters involved could well have been lured into troublesome behaviour. Instead, all the kids have had a rewarding and positive experience which has helped them through school or college and into secure employment.
For the past decade, the project operated out of a single storey, semi-derelict park-keeper’s building. After many years of campaigning to raise the funds, Sparkplug’s plans for a new building are coming to fruition.
The new building has 2 storeys and will include a large workshop areas with storage space; a multipurpose teaching room; an office; changing, shower and toilet facilities; and a small kitchen. The building can serve as more than simply a motorcycle training project. The facilities mean that small groups of young people can undertake other supervised activities in the building.
Caledonian ward Councillors have spent the last 4 years carefully safeguarding (and topping-up) a cocktail of funding sources. These included £390,000 of “section 106” money from the William of York apartment development; about £50,000 also in S106 funds from Kings Cross railway station redevelopment; £100,000 from the Council’s own capital budget; and about £50,000 we halped to squeeze from a variety of other Council sources. The Council has also granted Sparkplug a rent-free lease to operate from the new building.
Many nearby residents – especially those living along Pembroke Street – have been concerned that Sparkplug might cause noise and nuisance. These residents and approximately 1,000 other people in the neighbourhood will shortly be asked their opinion about a management plan for the building. This contains strict limits on the opening hours and the types of activities that will be permitted.
The most important rule is Sparkplug’s bikes will not be allowed under any circumstances to be ridden on any surrounding streets. All their motorcycles are off-road bikes so taking them on the public highway would be illegal.
Sparkplug will be allowed to operate a youth club on Fridays until 9.30pm but, apart from this, they will only be open between 9am and 6pm all other days. On Sundays it will be closed entirely. The management plan imposes stricter hours on the starting or running of engines: this will not be permitted beyond 4pm (Mon-Thurs), 6pm on Thursday, 9pm on a Friday and midday on a Saturday. Several other important safeguards are also imposed:
- All engines started up in the courtyard will be fitted with a legal silencer
- Only electrical jet hoses shall be used to clean bikes and equipment
- No amplified music is to be played in the courtyard at any time
- The gates to the courtyard along Pembroke Street will be shut at all times to reduce the amount of noise escaping from the yard
- All windows will be kept shut as much as possible
- All hazardous waste must be disposed according to the procedures and guidance of Islington Council and the Government’s Environment Agency.
Sparkplug will also be allowed to use the building’s first floor for other community purposes, such as public meetings, teaching and training outside of the current hours of operation. But special permission will required from Islington Council.
Rupert Perry says “as local Councillors we are proud of Sparkplug and its achievements over the past decade. We have done everything possible to make sure the project thrives and the new building represents an important new milestone. Sparkplug’s success reflects the energy and enthusiasm of a group of staff, volunteer trustees, parents and neighbours who are determined to give kids in this area a great start in life through positive activities and gaining valuable skills.”
“The Sparkplug building is also a good example of the kind of dedicated youth and community centres that we believe are needed right throughout the Borough. We already have a number of possible locations for new facilities in our ward. We hope, after May 6th, to consult on plans to get new youth clubs and sports activities off the ground.”
Anyone want fewer cafes and more kebabs in Kings Cross?
2B York Way ... what's there now
Two cases have cropped-up in the past couple of months which show how much extra vigilance is needed around Kings Cross. Commercial property values and rents are rising. And, late night entertainment is taking a hold. So the demand for high turnover fast food seems to be increasing too.
The cafe at 2B York Way suddenly became a takeaway food outlet around the beginning of this year. And the former Sunrise Cafe at 95 Caledonian Road has also become a kebab takeaway called “Sky Fried Chicken and Kebab”.
2B York Way ... only a few months ago
Neither of these premises has planning permission to operate as hot food takeaways. They only have permitted uses as cafes.
In the planning jargon, the use category known as “A3” (restaurants and cafes) is different to “A5” (hot food takeaways). There is a good reason for having two separate categories in planning law – the impact on the surrounding area is quite different between a sit-down cafe and a fast food takeaway.
In both cases, the owners have not just flouted the law relating to permitted use. They have also ignored the requirement to get planning permission before erecting gaudy shop fronts in a conservation area.
When the lower end of Regent’s Quarter was redeveloped, the frontages on York Way were carefully restored. So, at 2B York Way, a brightly-lit, in-your-face sign is an ugly intrusion to the streetscape and an unwelcome “gateway” to the Islington side of Kings Cross.
95 Cally Road - Sunrise cafe ... just a few weeks ago
And 95 Caledonian Road is part of an elegant terrace built in the mid 19th century. In the middle of the terrace is a reminder of previous times – there’s a marker stone which shows the boundary of Clerkenwell Parish and the former Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury. The new takeaway shop has mounted a large sign which is brightly lit at night.
Paul Convery says “It has taken a long time and great deal of effort to regenerate Kings Cross. The area did not simply suffer from physical dereliction but also a state of mind. Fortunately its sleazier reputation is evaporating as new investment takes root and the area is becoming home to a large residential population including many families.
The shopfront now
“I am sure many people like to have a kebab or chips now and then, but the arrival of these new fast-food takeaways feels like an unwelcome jerk back to the past.
What particularly annoys residents is that business owners seem oblivious to the rules which require them to get a planning permission for the change of use – and for physical changes to their shopfronts in the conservation area. As a local Councillor and chair of the planning committee I have taken the steps to bring enforcement action against these wayward premises.”
Islington Council has spent £20 million in the last year replacing paving slabs and relaying road surfaces. Some of the streets and pavements definitely needed it. But many, many others did not. And some of the new stuff in Caledonian Ward is already cracking-up or getting dug-up. In our neighbourhood, dozens of roads were already in a bad way before January’s harsh weather turned them into a catastrophic state. Yet they have been left untouched.
Broken paving on Tilloch Street - the result of Thames Water, BT and Gas all digging it up within months of being relaid. The pavement was actually in better nick before the Council decided to fix it up.
Much of last year’s paving work really was unnecessary. And suspicious minds have noticed how lots of the work has been concentrated in places where the Lib Dems have highly marginal seats on the Council.
Even worse, there are places where the “investment” has already been undone – either because the original work was bad or because utility companies have dug up the pavement subsequently.
The paved area on Caledonian Road at its junction with the pedestrianised Tilloch Street (just before the Co-op) is a good example. The slabs are continuously breaking-up from utility works and normal usage.
Caledonian Road has also been resurfaced. Fortunately local Councillors stopped the work which was originally due just days before Thames Water planned major excavations. Despite that, gas, electric and water utilities have all dug up parts of Cally Road since it was resurfaced.
How it used to be: Rufford Street pavement ... more like a bog
There are some exceptions to all this unecessary work. The streets and pavements around the St William of York apartment development have been superbly paved and the roads resurfaced. There’s a good reason though – most of the road and pavement surfaces were totally trashed by the construction company that built the block of 140 apartments.
As a result of their notorious behaviour the developers were forced to pay around £100,000 to make good the whole area. So that was definitely worth doing – and it cost the Council nothing.
Paul Convery says “Islington has spent a fortune digging and relaying so many streets and pavements. There are parts of Barnsbury where I think the Council has surfaced the roads at least 3 times in the past 5 years. In Hemingford Road for example, they put down speed humps, dug them up, resurfaced, rebuilt junctions, replaced speed humps again and then resurfaced once more.
The pavement finally relaid ... after 5 years of pressure from local residents ... and eventually paid for by a developer not the Council
“The latest spending splurge is a rather indulgent and cosmetic effort to buff-up selective parts of the Borough.
“And £20 million really is a lot of money. That’s the equivalent of constructing almost 50 youth facilities like the new Sparkplug building.
“Local Government is in the business of choosing between different priorities. I think this is the wrong use of scarce capital resources.
“I am glad that some parts of the Borough have been spruced-up. But I am furious that we have no decent youth and community venues when we have so many pressing problems to resolve in this neighbourhood.”
Let’s make sure on-street alcohol drinking gets banned
Part of the proposed alcohol exclusion zone
We are getting closer to having an alcohol exclusion zone around Kings Cross. But public support is needed to make sure it happens. Local councillors urge members of the public to respond to a public consultation by April 16th.
In January, we reported the success in getting the bottom of Caledonian Road included in the “Clerkenwell” alcohol exclusion area. A zone was originally planned which would have banned street drinking around Kings Cross but would probably have simply shifted street drinkers across Pentonville Road and into Grimaldi Park and the lower Cally Road. Most areas on the other side of our border with Camden already have exclusion zones.
Final approval of the zone will be taken by the Council following public consultation. When the new powers are adopted, Police Officers and some Police Community Support Officers can order people to stop drinking alcohol in public places. Failure to obey an order can result in a £50 on-the-spot penalty or they may be arrested and fined up to £500. The police can also confiscate alcohol.
The order does not ban all drinking in public places (e.g. people having a quiet drink outside a pub) but the police may use the power where they believe that alcohol-related nuisance and annoyance is likely to occur.
You can read the full consultation documents on the Council website by clicking here. Alternatively, just send an email to csputeam@islington.gov.uk saying that you support the “Designated Public Place Order” (DPPO).”
Cally Councillors have worked to get this part of our ward included in the zone. So we are urging members of the public to support this initative by taking part in the consultation.
Charlynne Pullen says “we were door-knocking this week in the area and residents are very keen to see this new power adopted. Many people are worried that street drinkers will move up from a trouble spot around Vernon Square and Percy Circus and end up in Grimaldi Park. A group of street drinkers already regularly gathers in two spots – on the corner of Omega Place and Caledonian Road; and outside the Tesco store on the corner of Caledonian Road and Caledonia Street.”
Some local residents were perplexed two months ago to see a Lib Dem leaflet claiming that the exclusion zone had already come into force earlier in the year. The leaflet bizarrely asserted that “the streets have been quieter since the controlled drinking area was introduced”.
Paul Convery adds “Lib Dem leaflets are notoriously inaccurate and this is a familiar example of a lack of local knowledge coupled with a tendency to claim credit for everything.”
Cabinet Minister for schools, Ed Balls MP with Emily Thornberry MP, Cllr Catherine West and staff and pupils at Thornhill primary school
Thornhill primary school this morning welcomed Ed Balls MP, the Secretary of State for Schools, as he announced that the Government will underwrite the funding for the Borough’s innovative scheme to provide a free school meal to every child in primary schools.
The Schools Secretary joined Emily Thornberry MP, Labour Group leader Cllr Catherine West and many local Councillors to announce that Islington will receive £1.6 million of support for free school meals for all primary school children. Islington’s innovative scheme will now become part of a Government pilot – along with Newham, Durham, Bradford and Nottingham.
Labour Leader, Catherine West says “this support from the Labour Government is a sign of just how much of a success free school meals for all at primary school has been. But despite that success, and with the local elections just five weeks away, the Liberal Democrats are still threatening to take it away.”
Caledonian ward’s Charlynne Pullen adds “after several months of study in the first six schools in Islington, experts have found that more children are eating a healthy lunch. That is a real boost for the health, education and behaviour of the whole class.
“Early results also reveal that more of the very lowest income children, who could have had free school meals anyway, are now taking them up. Whether that is because of lifting an unfair stigma or just because too many people never realised their children were entitled, it shows our policy is a success.
“But we can only continue to provide free school meals for all primary school children with your support.The Liberal Democrats may run the Council, but since our historic budget victory last year, they have been unable to defeat the free school meals initiative. But if they win the election, the Lib Dems have said that they will take it away.”
You can support our campaign to permanently safeguard free school meals by going to www.islington-labour.org.uk/free-school-meals
Yet another planning decision upheld by Appeal Inspector
The site is currently used for parking and motor repairs
Local councillors have received the backing of a planning inspector after the West Area planning committee refused to give permission for 100+ student “studio flats” in White Lion Street at the Angel.
This was a landmark decision to refuse a “mixed use” scheme at 65 -70 White Lion Street. It is the second time that a planning inspector has endorsed a refusal by West Area planning committee on this site. The application had originally been recommended for approval by the Council’s planning officers but Labour Councillors rejected their advice.
The appeal Inspector agreed with the Councillors that provision of student accommodation in Islington already greatly exceeds the Borough’s target contained in the London Plan. Because the site lies within the Angel Town Centre, the Inspector also accepted the argument that “provision of employment floorspace should take precedence over the provision of student accommodation.”
Paul Convery, chair of the planning committee said “we have convinced an Inspector that Islington is already providing much more student housing than almost any other Borough. And we particularly want to preserve the mix of commercial and residential uses in the Angel town centre. Local councillors believe this is a decisive victory over developers who want to build student housing because that’s where they think the greatest profits lie during the downturn in the property market. Local Councillors have beaten-back developers twice on this site. So, we now invite a developer to submit a scheme that is mainly affordable family-sized housing.
“This time, the Inspector was convinced by the arguments presented by the Borough and I commend the work of Islington’s legal team, planners and others in successfully arguing a defence of our decision.
“I believe it is the fifteenth significant case during our term of office where an Appeal Inspector has upheld decisions taken by the planning committee. In almost every one of these upheld cases, the committee’s lone Lib Dem Councillor was in the minority.”
Local teenagers march in Jessie Wright’s memory
Friends of Jessie write their tributes on a banner before the march
Labour Councillors have pledged to help erect a memorial to 16 year-old Jessie Wright who died in tragic circumstances just 3 weeks ago.
On Sunday 28th, 100 local teenagers marched in Jessie’s memory. With mums pushing prams and older family members they headed in a procession from Randell’s Road and up the Caledonian Road.
The young girls and boys leading the march – dressed in Jessie’s favourite colours – had signed their names and messages for Jessie on a large banner. The procession went past many of Jessie’s favourite places up the Cally Road.
The march heads up Caledonian Road
They also stopped to collect money for a memorial which they hope to put up somewhere near where Jessie lived.
Labour Councillors have pledged to help the youngsters achieve their ambition. Paul Convery joined the teenagers for an hour on Sunday and promised to find a suitable place for a permanent memorial. He wished the kids good luck raising the money and pledged to Jessie’s sister Molly that Councillors would match the money needed to make sure a fitting and lasting memorial can be erected.
Paul added “this tragedy has really shocked the neighbourhood and caused deep distress to the children and young people around here. These kids, their families and friends are demonstrating their great sadness but also their determination to make this a safer and better neighbourhood for them to grow up in. As local Councillors, we shall give them every support necessary to achieve that”.
Pentonville prison – 500 affordable homes would be better
The Prison Service should transfer the site to the Council for affordable housing
It is time to shut Pentonville Prison and use the site for affordable housing.
The prison is 170 years old and, when built, was a “Model Prison” constructed to a radical design. In the early 19th century, it had living conditions often better than the slums from which most of its inmates came.
But times really have changed and the prison is regularly criticised for its poor accommodation standards and for staff corruption and bad management. HM Inspector of Prisons in 2006 issued a damning report accusing the prison of “institutional disrespect” for its inmates. There seems little evidence things have improved since then.
Pentonville is mainly used for prisoners on remand (i.e. awaiting trial). Many are from North London so it is a “local” prison. When built, it stood on the outskirts of London mainly surrounded by market gardens and by fields with brick and tile ovens. But today it sits in a dense residential neighbourhood where shortage of affordable homes has become chronic.
Rupert Perry says “Islington Council has agreed to help supply just over 1,000 new homes a year every year for ten years – and half of these should be affordable. That’s a tough target to meet so we need sites like this which currently do not serve this community. Sure, prisoners need to be accommodated somewhere. But Pentonville Prison has really passed its use-by date. The site should be used for housing instead.
“Nobody denies there’s another side to the argument. The prison is a fairly accessible location for friends and family of prisoners. So would a new modern prison on a larger site somewhere closer to North London’s main arterial routes. The prison also employs quite a few people, some of whom use the shops and cafes on Cally Road. But 500+ new homes would actually generate far more business for local shops than a couple of dozen warders buying their lunch.”
Islington’s Really Useful Guide … dumped not delivered
The Council just spent £100,000 on producing the “Really Useful Guide” to Council services. And about 10 days ago, they mailed a copy (individually addressed) to every household. Except they didn’t.
One group of residents of York Way Court in Caledonian Ward did not get their copy of the “Really Useful Guide”. That’s because the deliverers just dumped them. So that wasn’t really useful at all.
The box of dumped letters
Yesterday morning, the Cally Labour Councillors team found a box of 80 letters dumped in a stairwell on the estate. They are still there today!
York Way Court is a group of 4 Council-built blocks of flats on the corner of York Way and Copenhagen Street. The estate is managed by a Housing Association, Southern Housing Group after a stock transfer about 10 years ago. The majority of flats in each block are accessed through a security-controlled door and – unlike many other estates in our ward – the flat numbering system is not especially complicated. So it’s not a hard estate to deliver letters to.
So it is a mystery why an entire box of letters was left by the front door in just one of the blocks. These were meant to be delivered by Royal Mail and the Council needs to demand an explanation.
Here's the stairwell entrance where the box was dumped
Paul Convery remarked “you might say this is a small thing but it reveals a can’t-be-bothered attitude here. Who did the Council pay to deliver these packages? Why hasn’t the Housing Association’s estate management service done the obvious thing and put them through the right letterboxes? Probably because the estate has quite minimal estate management service. The small small purpose-built estate office is not even used by Southern Housing but has been leased to another housing association.”
Cally Councillors have tipped-off the Town Hall and ticked-off Southern Housing. Hopefully that box of bills will go through the right letterboxes in the next few days. We’ve also asked the Council for assurance that there are no other piles of Town Hall letters lying around elsewhere in the Borough (like the recent Council Tax notices, for example).
Labour Councillors representing the Cally neighbourhood in Islington 