Pentonville is one of Britain’s “most dangerous prisons” … and it’s right inside our neighbourhood
Councillors representing the Cally have renewed their calls for Pentonville Prison to be closed and its capacity to be re-provided.
Millions of BBC news viewers will have been shocked by the latest revelations of appalling conditions in Pentonville Prison. Correspondent Sima Kotecha revealed the “violence, overcrowding and self-harm … inside one of Britain’s most dangerous prisons.” When built 180 years ago, Pentonville prison stood on the outskirts of London mainly surrounded by agriculture and brickworks. Today, it’s in the heart of our high density community. What happens in the prison has a profound impact on our community.
However, the worrying state of the prison isn’t new. The prison has been condemned repeatedly in inspection reports going back over 20 years. In 2002 the Chief Inspector of Prisons commented on Pentonville that “it is not acceptable to hold prisoners in conditions which fall so far short of standards of decency and activity.”
In the past decade there has been little improvement reported. In 2015 an Inspector said the prison “had bloodstained walls, piles of rubbish and food waste, increasing levels of violence, and widespread drug-taking.” In October 2016 there was a horrifying murder of prisoner, Jamal Mahmoud, which prompted local MP, Emily Thornberry, to call for a duty-of-care investigation and for closure of the prison. Where a prison authority fails in its duty of care, an offence of corporate manslaughter may arise under section 1 of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. In the 3 weeks following that murder a further 6 stabbing incidents occurred.
A Full Inspection in 2019 condemned the prison with findings declaring “no exception to this sorry history”. During the pandemic, Pentonville was spotlighted as one of the worst regimes in the country with conditions under lockdown being described as “inhumane”. In 2021, an Inspectorate of Prisons report said that prisoners had been held in isolation for many weeks and most prisoners were locked in cells for up to 23 hours a day. The report declared that “Self-harm had increased in the months since the restricted regime had started and there had been four self-inflicted deaths since our last full inspection. Over half the prisoners in our survey said they had mental health problems and waits for primary mental health support had increased.”
Another inspection report in 2022 identified high suicide rates, illicit drug use, poor inmate opportunities and described “profound”, “chronic” and “entrenched” problems at work in the prison. It said that, only “fragile progress” had been made, with the prison “still not good enough” in all key areas of safety, respect, purposeful activity, rehabilitation and release planning. The report found some improvements to inmate safety had been made since the previous inspection. But seven inmates had died by suicide since the previous inspection in 2019.
As recently as September 2023, the prison was described as a “vermin infested hell” after the independent monitoring board (IMB) stated it was “unfit for purpose”. HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Charlie Taylor told the Guardian newspaper it should be closed. Since 2009 there have been 4 prisoner escapes. Following the last escape, Emily Thornberry MP reiterated the call for the prison’s closure.
For much of the prison’s early history, it had limited impact on the area in which it was located. However, in the past decade its presence has been more strongly felt in the neighbourhood. Drones have been used to fly-in drugs, weapons and ‘phones; gang-related affiliations of those held on remand have played-out on nearby streets; and local people have felt under threat when reporting incidents occurring inside and outside the perimeter walls.
In 2015, former Justice Secretary, Michael Gove, described Pentonville as “the most dramatic example of failure” within the prisons estate and said the prison would be replaced in a “new-for-old” programme. But instead, Gove decided to close Holloway women’s prison. This was a surprise. Compared with Pentonville, Holloway prison was relatively modern and suffered few problems. Eventually, in 2019, the Tory Government announced it was “not the stated policy of government” to close any Victorian prisons.
As local Councillors we have found a few ways to engage with the Prison Service. But our influence is limited. We recently provided some financial support for the “Liberty Choir” to take community volunteers into Pentonville prisons to sing with prisoners to improve their self-confidence, esteem and wellbeing.
Caledonian ward councillor Sara Hyde is a nationally recognised prison reform campaigner. She says: “New prison accommodation is badly needed but a replacement for Pentonville has to be located at a site accessible to prisoners’ families and near to services for rehabilitation and support. The shocking conditions within Pentonville underline the prison crisis that the new Labour Government has inherited. Years of under-investment right across the criminal justice system means Britain is housing much of its prison population in inhumane conditions. Over the past decade, sentences have become longer and many prisoners are being held beyond the time decided by courts. Increasingly there is a prison population that has acute drug dependency and adverse mental health conditions. Many experience serious violence due to real or perceived gang affiliations. These people need safety, treatment and rehabilitation.“
The prison is located in Laycock ward represented by Councillor Heather Staff who says: “Solving the prison crisis isn’t just about decrepit buildings and prisoners’ living conditions. The judicial system needs to be more humane and genuinely aiming to rehabilitate prisoners and reduce the risks of re-offending. The crisis isn’t just about prison capacity either, there are catastrophically long waits for court hearings which exacerbate the accommodation shortage because so many prisoners are held on remand for longer. On release, prisoners get very limited support not least because of the Tories’ crazy privatisation of the probation service. I recently encountered a man who had just been sitting outside the shops on Roman Way not knowing where to go or what to do. He had only the clothes he was wearing, no money and no place to stay. I got the Council’s outreach and housing teams to step-in and an otherwise destitute and homeless ex-prisoner was given help.”
Have a merry Cally Christmas … in September!
Christmas comes early to a treasured south Cally street on Friday 6th September. Picturesque Keystone Crescent will be turned into a snow-filled scene in a TV advert for “a well known UK retailer”.
Production company, Merman, will close the street for two days, place a cellulose “snow” membrane over the entire street. The action is a simple scene showing an actress walking along the street greeting neighbours filmed from a camera crane. Residents will be financially compensated and the production company additionally has made a donation to Voluntary Action Islington. The producers have asssured residents and the Council that the “snow” is non-toxic, has no chemicals and is PH neutral.
Keystone Crescent has unsurprisingly been chosen because of its very traditional appearance. The Grade 2 listed terrace, completed in 1846, was built by Robert James Stuckey along with over 100 other nearby properties. Stuckey’s descendants still own some of those properties adminstered in a family trust. The Crescent is described as a “hidden gem” and the “smallest crescent in Europe” by London Living History.
Music videos, adverts and fashion shoots are increasingly regular in and around the Cally, not least because Islington Council’s Film Office actively markets the Borough to location-finding companies that scout places suitable for external and internal scenes. The Cally high street featured in scenes shot for “The Crown” whilst Thornhill Square has been in episodes of “Poirot”. Road closures, parking suspensions and other facility fees go directly to the Council and, over recent years, this type of income has helped the Council boost income and balance the municipal budget.
Cllr Paul Convery says “Islington welcomes and encourages film and TV in the Borough and we’re especially pleased to bring shoots to the Cally. The Council’s Film Office makes sure that the community benefits from productions and we have an apprenticeship ‘pipeline’ for local young people to get experience and a foothold in the industry. Our neighbourhood has many visually interesting locations but we’re also mindful not to get pigeonholed into ‘gritty’ scenes filmed to the west of Cally versus ‘leafy’ streets and squares on the east side.”
More than 200 local residents enjoyed last Saturday’s Summer Community Party organised at Jean Stokes community centre by Help on Your Doorstep.
Based at Jean Stokes, HOYD is one of Cally’s most trusted community organisations working to improve the health and wellbeing of people in the neighbourhood. It has a partnership with the Council to work with people who may need early support and connect them to services. It’s a model of “early intervention” that the Council strongly backs – helping to identify and solve individuals’ challenges to avoid problems escalating. HOYD offers activities and services in and around Bemerton: a gardening club, dance for kids, zumba sessions, ‘gentle’ exercise classes, a monthly lunch club, and a very popular weekly coffee morning.
HOYD’s Summer Community Party featured a bouncy castle, facepainting, glitter tatoos, football and boxing for the kids outside on Perth Green. Inside Jean Stokes, there were arts and crafts, massage, henna tattoos and nail techs for adults. There was a fabulous range of free food and refreshments.
The ward Councillors were available in a “speak to your Councillors” session too.
Partner organisations present included: Cally Connects Us, Barnsbury Parish, West Library, Cook For Good, Healthy Generations, Age UK (Islington) and Stuart Low Trust.
Cllr Sara Hyde said: “Congratulations to HOYD and partners for an absolutely brilliant day. I can’t really put into words how incredible it was to see everyone enjoying themselves – the joy was contagious. Thank you for your essential work with Cally residents.”
Another massive Thames Water main burst causes severe flooding
A Thames Water mains pipe burst has caused severe flooding, emergency evacuation and traffic chaos around south Cally, Barnsbury and the Angel. Pictures above show the volume of water caused by the 16-inch diameter pipe which ruptured at around 4am on 18th August. Flooding affected a 250 square metre area between Penton Rise and King’s Cross Road and affected the basements of multiple residential and commercial properties. For most of the day, Pentonville Road and Kings Cross Rd were closed to traffic requiring 11 bus routes to be diverted.
This large scale burst follows another nearby flooding on Kings Cross Road on 15th November last year.
The London Fire Brigade mobilised 8 appliances and around 60 firefighters from Euston, Islington, Soho and other fire stations. The LFB response included a specialist water rescue team to help evacuate about 20 affected residents. The Brigade deployed mobile flood barriers and drone technology to manage the incident. Staff from Islington Council’s emergency response team also attended the scene. A large scale clear-up operation is now underway.
Barnsbury Councillor Praful Nargand commented: “The Barnsbury and Cally area is regularly affected by these flooding incidents which don’t just cause disruption but they represent a real threat to life for people living in basement properties – especially when they occur during the hours of darkness. It isn’t acceptable for Thames Water to just say these are old Victorian pipes and such failures are inevitable. These are empty apologies from an organisation that under-invested, dumped sewage and now wants to hike your bills.
“Over the past 35 years the management of privatised Thames Water has known that its infrastructure was ancient and fragile. There has been decades of under-investment and, with Thames Water likely to go bust next year, its latest investment plans look uncertain. Over those decades, the owners of Thames Water have extracted billions in dividends and loaded the company down with debt from leveraged buyouts. It’s time for bolder action.”
LFB incident report is here.
Shreya Nanda becomes Islington’s newest Councillor after a by-election victory in Hillrise Ward
Voters in Hillrise ward in north Islington, elected Shreya Nanda as their new Councillor at a by-election on Thursday 15th August. The by-election saw a 4-way contest between Labour, Green, Liberal Democrat and an independent. Standing for Labour, Shreya secured almost twice the votes of the nearest candidate.
In her acceptance speech Shreya praised “the huge difference that a Labour council can make, from fixing our broken housing market, to working with community police to make our spaces safe, to investing in community centres, and supporting the most vulnerable people in our community.
“I’ve spoken to hundreds of people in Hillrise over the course of this election, who have taken the time to tell me about the problems that they face, from crime and antisocial problems in the area, to cramped and overcrowded housing. As your local councillor, I promise I will do everything I can to be an active presence in the community and work with my fellow Labour councillors to tackle these issues.”
Unexpectedly, the Lib Dem candidate pushed the Greens into 4th place. However, in the absence of a Conservative candidate, the Lib Dems may have picked-up some Tory votes. Hillrise ward had also been represented by Lib Dems between 2000 to 2014. By contrast, the Green party considers itself to be the main challenger to Labour in Islington North but fell short in Hillrise.
| Labour | 968 | 43% |
| Indy/Corbyn | 539 | 24% |
| Lib Dem | 350 | 16% |
| Greens | 322 | 14% |
| Parr-Reid | 54 | 2% |
Cally Councillor, Paul Convery said “we’re delighted that Shreya has been elected very convincingly in a by-election that was unusually held in mid-August. The contest had become quite tightly focused on the qualities and personalities of the candidates and Shreya personally convinced the hundreds of Hillrise voters that she spoke to. She is going to make her mark on the Council very quickly, especially on the planning committee where Shreya will be strongly backing our goal to have delivered over 3,000 genuinely affordable homes in the next 2 years.”
The Islington Council by-election official result can be read here.
Islington Councillors have given planning permission for a landmark 9 storey life-sciences building. The site at 176-178 York Way is located on the corner of Randall’s Rd and will be the latest addition to the King’s Cross “knowledge quarter”. The building will house 12,000sqm of research and laboratory space, 1,200sqm of affordable workspace, a flexible community and events space, and flexible makers’ space. The planning department’s report to Councillors can be read here (item B1).
The developers say this science and technology building will house research organisations helping to solve the world’s biggest medical challenges. It will also support growing businesses in Islington, and provide skills and jobs for residents. Part of the building (10%) will be low cost “affordable workspace” in line with Islington Council’s policies. There will be a 5-year social value plan – aligned with the We Are Cally Community Plan – which will engage Islington schools and residents to improve skills and access into science and technology jobs.
Islington Council has also helped the scheme go ahead by releasing some land which will ensure a new walking route is opened up from Caledonian Road to York Way through Bingfield Street. The entire public realm around the site will get a massive upgrade too.
Cllr Paul Convery said: “We’ve been trying for over a decade to get this site developed and have rejected several unrealistic schemes. This project by developer Delancey is going to make a huge difference to the Cally. Our neighbourhood is located at the eastern end of Europe’s largest life-sciences cluster stretching along the Euston Road corridor, through Kings Cross and into Islington. This is already bringing thousands of good quality jobs and the Council has a recruitment “pipeline” with employers making an inward investment to our Borough; and our local schools are building great relationships with new knowledge intensive businesses.”
The racist and Islamophobic violence we have seen in different parts of the country in recent days has been sickening. Here in Islington our diversity is our strength. You can add your support to Islington Labour Councillors’ statement here: https://islington-labour.org.uk/standing-up-to-racism/
Too many gambling venues on the Cally high street
“Why has Islington Council given permission to all those new gambling shops on Cally high street”? People often ask this question. And the simple answer is that Islington Council hasn’t. The Council opposed and refused gambling licenses and refused planning permission to all 3 of the recent opened gambling venues. But in every case, the gambling companies appealed to Inspectors appointed by the last Government. And they got Islington’s refusals overturned.
As a result, we now have 3 betting shops and a 24hr adult gaming centre all within about 150 yards of each other on Caledonian Road. Here’s an explanation about what happened with the last 3 venues which have secured gambling licenses and planning permissions.
Jennings Bet, 309-311 Caledonian Road
The Council’s licensing committee refused a gambling license in February 2023 – click here to see that report. However, Jennings applied to a District Judge in the Magistrate’s Court to overturn the decision. Islington Council defended its refusal but the Judge ruled in favour of the license being granted.
Jennings Bet also had to get a planning permission for change of use and hours of operation. In April 2022, the Council refused this application too. In August 2022, a planning inspector over-turned Islington’s refusal. The decision notice can be read here. Astonishingly, the Inspector said “the proposal would not result in a harmful over-concentration of betting shops”. Despite the location being “close to primary schools, a children’s centre and a community centre” she said it would not exacerbate “antisocial behaviour and crime rates”. To make things even worse, the Inspector attached a condition “requiring the glass of the shopfront to remain unobscured.” The windows are now filled with large format advertising screen with high light intensity at night.
City Gaming, 310 Caledonian Road
Although this was once a branch of William Hill, City Gaming were required to get a new gambling license. This was strongly opposed by many residents and the Caledonian Ward Cllrs. It was also opposed by the Licensing Authority. See the report from 2021 here.
The company also had to get planing permission notably because they wanted to operate 24 hours a day. Again this was opposed by residents and the Ward Cllrs. Planning permission was summarily refused by Islington Council in May 2021. The report which authorised refusal can be read here.
However, the owners appealed this refusal. The Council robustly defended its decision and its statement of case can be read here. However, the appeal Inspector over-ruled the Council in December 2021. Astonishingly, he thought that 24 hour operation would be OK because the premises are located on “a main arterial road with associated traffic levels … I am not therefore persuaded that it is necessary or reasonable to prevent 24-hour opening to protect the living conditions of the occupiers of nearby residential properties.” He self-evidently didn’t visit the site and see that the high street has numerous residential properties above and adjacent. The Inspector’s decision can be read here.
The Council is closely monitoring the 310 Caledonian Rd and there is a planning enforcement case which has been opened because the premises began operations before it had met pre-commencement conditions which the planning inspector required.
Paddy Power, 325 Caledonian Road
Caledonian Ward Cllrs opposed a license for the Paddy Power premises and a planning application was refused by the Council’s planning committee in January 2016. The decision notice is here. However, Paddy Power appealed this decision. We campaigned publicly after Paddy Power’s appeal to a Government Inspector was held in July 2016. Islington Council had refused planning permission The Inspector accepted there was a strong grounds for refusal – the detrimental effect on the high street from over-concentration of betting venues and the negative impact on sensitive community facilities within an area of high economic deprivation. The Inspector listened to local residents’ representations and “paid particular attention also to those made in writing by the local ward Councillors”. However, he decided to over-turn the Council’s refusal. The Inspector’s report is here.
The law needs to be changed
We have concentrations of gambling shops in Cally because the 2005 Gambling Act has an “aim-to-permit” clause which makes it very hard for any Council to resist new gambling license applications.
Caledonian Ward Councillor Sara Hyde says: “The Gambling laws need to be changed. When Councils like Islington refuse licenses, the gambling companies just go to a District Judge and appeal the decision. They always quote the Act’s ‘aim-to-permit’ provision. The Council’s refusal is then overturned and licences are granted.
“Planning legislation also needs to be strengthened. In Cally, the last 3 planning applications for gambling venues were all refused by the Council. But, in all 3 cases, the applicants appealed to an Inspector appointed by the last Government and that Inspector over-ruled Islington and granted permission. It’s crazy that an applicant for planning permission can appeal without even having to show any grounds for their appeal. They just get a second roll of the dice. We will do all we can to work with new Labour government to change the laws that prevent local councils from being able to meaningfully shape the local environment and community.”
Islington Council and other local authorities are seeking powers to stop the spread of gambling here. Cllr John Woolf, the Executive Member responsible for community safety and licensing made the argument to a meeting of the full Council. It’s covered here in the Islington Tribune.
We’ve launched an online petition
Cally Councillors launched a petition on 4th July at the Cally Festival opposed to the concentration of gambling in Cally. We collected several hundred signatures on the day. There’s an online version of the petition here.
Thames Water chaos on Cally for 10 weeks
Thames Water is, at last, replacing the risky mains on Offord Road and Caledonian Road. Councillors representing Caledonian and Barnsbury wards have continuously demanded that Thames Water fully replace these pipes.
Unfortunately, Thames Water is doing both jobs at the same time! The result is traffic congestion and serious delays to bus services.
Offord Road
A Victorian era cast-iron 12-inch diameter mains pipe runs down Offord Road and has repeatedly burst causing serious flooding. This happened in Oct 2018, February 2021 and again in July 2022.
The street is especially vulnerable to the effects of this water main bursting due to its gradient and the large number of basement flats. When these are submerged, lives are at risk.
The works on Offord Road will last 10 weeks and will completely close the highway to all through traffic. The project will be done in 4 phases and approximately 40 car parking spaces will be lost in one go for the full 10-week duration. The Council’s highways department says that Thames Water will ensure that any vulnerable residents or those with specific mobility requirements are catered for, and that there is “adequate parking elsewhere in the local area for those who are displaced.” Click here for a presentation file showing the detailed project plans and its phasing.
Caledonian Road
A similar large diameter mains pipe runs down Caledonian Road and has also repeatedly fractured – at locations outside the prison, on the high street and south of Copenhagen Street.
Work began on Wednesday 24th July, south of Copenhagen Street, to install new plastic piping and this also affects the entrance to Edwards Square, Carnegie Street and Thornhill Bridge Wharf. The work is expected to take “approximately 8 weeks to complete” according to Thames.
Temporary traffic lights are now in operation, south of Copenhagen Street with traffic limited to a single lane. During mornings, this has already caused significant build-up of traffic stretching as far north as Offord Road, where another set of lights already restricts traffic. Despite a promise that both projects have been coordinated “to ensure the phases do not clash” that is exactly what seems to have happened.
Barnsbury Ward Councillor Praful Nargand comments: “As local councillors, we have seen the harm that Thames Water’s failure to invest in our water infrastructure has caused for our residents, and it is good to see these vital and long-campaigned for improvements now taking place. We are acutely aware of the risk of inconvenience and disruption, and we will be keeping a close eye on the works as they progress. Any residents with any concerns or experiencing issues with Thames Water’s works should get in touch as soon as possible.”
The Cally Labour Councillors blogsite is back online!
After a long pause, the Cally Labour Councillors blog has been resumed. So, what happened? It’s a little embarrassing to admit but we lost the login credentials and just took a very long time to recover them. In truth, we had also slowed down on posting to this site partly because Twitter and other channels had become (seemingly) more immediate and popular. Proving that point, our last blog post until today was about the 2019 Cally Festival and we’ve just celebrated the brilliant 2024 Festival !
We first launched this site in early 2010 because so many people asked us to explain things happening in Cally – many of them quite difficult issues or things requiring information that usually took (back then) rather more than 140 characters!
In recent months, the original reasons for this site have been reinforced by the sheer number of things happening in our neighbourhood recently. In many cases, these require background information and need explaining. So, we’re re-starting this blog site and welcome feedback.
Please bear in mind that the site’s comment function is (and always has been) “moderated”. Submitted comments are not published until they are cleared and this isn’t instant! We moderate comments because WordPress sites like this often get “bot” attacks. We also reserve the right to exclude comments that are irrelevant or excessively argumentative. Unsurprisingly, offensive comments won’t be allowed through either.
Labour Councillors representing Caledonian Ward in Islington 