Saturday 6 July 2013

Social Housing for Mount Pleasant!

NO TO GENTRIFICATION!
SOCIAL HOUSING FOR MOUNT PLEASANT!

The planning application for the Mount Pleasant redevelopment is now on line, on the Islington Council website:
http://tinyurl.com/oo4vut2

There are many documents related to the application but possibly the most important one for us is the housing statement:
http://planning.islington.gov.uk/NorthgatePublicDocs/00252132.pdf

It sets the provision of social rented housing at an outrageous 11% (77 out of 681 units), with another 8% of "intermediate" housing (55 units). This makes a total of 19% so-called affordable housing.
As a reminder, Islington Council say they are committed to a total of 50% affordable housing on large developments, and a total of 35% social rented housing.

This means 80 per cent exclusive flats and the gentrification of yet another part of the borough. This development should deliver genuinely affordable social-rented housing. With the austerity measures and the cap on housing benefits, a growing number of people can no longer afford a decent home in the borough. We cannot allow them to be let down in the name of profit.

We have no faith in consultation processes and we are not advocating for people to take part in the council one. But in the absence of a coherent collective movement against this development as of yet, if people want to complain or object to the development they can do so via the following channels:

*Official consultation on the Islington council website (deadline 19th July):
http://planning.islington.gov.uk/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/PLComments.aspx?pk=343009

* Contact the case officer directly:
sarah.ricketts@islington.gov.uk
020 7527 2364

* Contact Indigo, the PR company hired by Royal Mail to do their dirty work for them:
mount-pleasant@yourshout.org
0800 458 6976

No public meeting seems to have been publicised but if people hear of anything coming up, do get in touch.