In a prime example of how local food growing can benefit communities, Islington Council staff will be harvesting pears from trees in St John’s Villas on Friday 25 September and these will be available for locals to collect on the day (from 8am). 

Not only does this provide free food for local residents, but it also reduces carbon emissions by reducing the amount of transport to deliver the food.  

Liberal Democrats lead the way with initiatives like this and the Archway Carbon Free Zone which help reduce the level of carbon emissions in our community.  If you are aware of a public space in which fruit trees could be grown, please contact your local Lib Dem Councillor as soon as possible as now is a prime time to be planting fruit trees.

Archway Liberal Democrats have slammed the decision by a Planning Inspector based in Bristol to overturn a council decision to refuse a new gambling arcade in Junction Road. 

The application to open a new arcade on the former site of Emily’s Homeshop had been rejected by Islington’s planning committee.  But Agora have now been give been given the green light by the Inspector to open the new arcade in the face of Lib Dem and local residents’ opposition.

Local Lib Dem Councillor Ursula Woolley (pictured with Arthur Graves), comments: “I’m furious that the Labour government’s planning rules mean Archway will be blighted with yet another gambling arcade. The views and concerns of local people should be respected. We don’t want another arcade and we shouldn’t have one forced on us.  Archway residents have been let down by Labour again. First, Labour’s new free-for-all gambling laws mean arcade owners are targeting areas like Islington. Then the Planning Inspector refused to stop the arcade opening because of Labour’s poorly drafted planning laws. Now we are stuck with another arcade that nobody wants.” 

Local resident Arthur Graves, comments: “There are already seven gambling premises around the Archway.  The last thing we need is yet another one.  We want real shops.  So much for helping to regenerate Archway!  The Government should be listening to the views of ordinary people not allowing some inspector based hundreds of miles away in Bristol who doesn’t know anything about Archway to make the decision.  It seems that gambling empires with deep pockets have hit the jackpot in the planning appeal process.”

Islington is the overall winner of this year’s London in Bloom.  The competition supports and encourages gardening, horticulture and environmental sustainability across Greater London.  To win this prestigious award is a tremendous achievement for the borough, particularly as Islington is a densely populated, inner-city area.

A big thank you from Islington Council to all the residents, community groups and local businesses who contributed so much.  Your achievements have helped to improve the local environment, increase civic pride, boost the local economy and encourage co-operation between voluntary groups.

Islington is now a finalist in the Britain in Bloom competition and results will be announced on 24 September.

Local Liberal Democrat Councillors have been successful in campaigning to have Archway named one of London’s new Low Carbon Zones.  The goal is to cut carbon emissions in Archway by 20 per cent by 2012 – a doubling of current borough-wide targets – and the project has been awarded at least £200,000 to turn this goal into reality.  It will also result in a cut in local energy bills.

Islington Council will be setting up a green ‘energy doctor’ programme which will offer residents an audit of how they can make their homes more energy efficient, do some of the easy to do measures such as installing energy efficient light bulbs and radiator panels and support the households to make the bigger changes they may wish to do.  The council will also be setting up apprenticeship schemes for local residents to train to become ‘energy doctors’.

Other measures include:

• A major homes insulation programme in Archway’s social housing;
• An offer of heavily subsidised insulation for private houses in the zone.;
• Businesses will be offered energy audits and tips on cutting electricity use.  Some free work will also be available e.g fitting low-energy lighting to reduce shops’ bills;
• Local people will be recruited as apprentices to work alongside the energy doctors;
• Volunteers will be trained to help residents who want advice on how to take more radical steps to cut energy use (eg installing solar panels etc).

Terry Stacy, Islington council leader, said: “We’ve set ourselves challenging targets to tackle climate change and make Islington the most environmentally-friendly part of London.”Archway is a highly visible area and the council will be working alongside local residents and businesses, including the Whittington Hospital, to reduce our carbon dioxide output.”

Islington Council will work together with Homes for Islington, Eaga, Groundwork London, Better Archway Forum, Archway Town Centre Management Group, and the Whittington Hospital to create the Archway Low Carbon Zone.

A clean-up of estate agents’ old signs has smartened Archway’s streets and sent a clear message that the area is thriving and open for business.The Council took action to remove the signs at the request of local residents and businesses after many “Sold” and “Let By” signs remained longer than the 14 days allowed under planning rules.

“I’m currently in the middle of a major renovation project to improve the façade of my pub and I think this estate agent board clean up is good news for Archway”, says Nic Sharpe, owner of St John’s Pub in Junction Road and a member of the Archway Town Centre Management Group.  “Buildings free of unnecessary clutter really make a difference to the look and feel of the area.” 

Cllr Terry Stacy, Leader of Islington Council, said: “Thanks to this clean-up Archway looks much more like the bustling, busy area it really is - which is good news for everyone who works and lives there.  Of course there’s not a problem with estate agents putting up signs on properties that are on the market or have just been let.  But if signs stay up for a long time they can make streets look unloved and shabby. Things are much better now, and we’ll keep an eye on the situation.”

www.planningalerts.com is a great way to keep up-to-date with all planning applications in your area. All you have to do is enter your email address, postcode, and the area around you for which you would like to receive updates (200m, 800m or 2000m).  Each time a planning application is lodged in this area you will receive an email alert.  Note that the site is in Beta (test) mode so may have some teething problems.

In response to campaigning by Lib Dem Councillors and local residents, the Council has completed a review of Foxham Gardens resulting in the toilets being re-opened between 2pm and 6pm each day. 

A month long trial of leaving the toilets open without an attendant being present found that there were no criminal incidents and the area will now be monitored by the park keeper in Whittington Park.

The review also covered use of the garden areas and the Council will be taking measures to ensure that anti social behaviour by some dog owners is not allowed to affect everyone’s enjoyment of the facilities.  These measures include –

• Area park management to organise a conservation volunteer day to repair the damaged wildlife dead hedge surrounding the natural area;
• Gates to Foxham Gardens will now be locked open each morning to stop certain dog walkers from closing off park gates and allowing their dogs to run around wildly;
• Parks management to arrange an educational dog event with the Parkguard dog unit to attempt to target the errant dog walkers using Foxham;
• A spot cleansing programme to clear the site of hazardous dog waste which has collected in the natural areas and grass areas;
• A notice on the entrance to positively publicise the future work so as to encourage park users back in to the park, if this perception is founded.

“It is pleasing that the Council has listened to the concerns of residents using both the playground and garden areas and hopefully these measures will make it a much more pleasant environment for us all”, says local resident, and campaigner for re-opening the toilets, Arthur Graves.