Old Royal Free estate residents – Where’s our community centre?
Estate residents claim housing association has let them down over promised building
Published: 1st July, 2011
by PETER GRUNER
RESIDENTS on an award-winning council estate at the Angel have accused their housing association of going back on a plan to provide a much-needed community centre.
The residents on the listed Old Royal Free estate – built on the grounds of the old hospital before it moved to Hampstead – were given a plot of land for a centre by the former Lib Dem council in the late 1990s.
When the land was transferred in 2009 to Family Mosaic, who administer the estate in Liverpool Road, part of the agreement, according to tenants, was that the association would build the centre.
While Family Mosaic admit that they had originally supported the idea for a community centre, under the current funding crisis they say they can now only afford to build social housing on the site.
Cieran Lynam, secretary of the tenants’ association, said people feel “betrayed” by Family Mosaic and “let down by Islington Council for not supporting the residents.
He added: “We were promised a community centre more than 20 years ago when the former Lib Dem council sold the plot of land to us for a shilling.
“We have hundreds of children on the estate who need activities along with elderly and disabled people who need a venue.
“A community centre is essential for an estate like ours with 192 dwellings. It would be the heart or the hub of the community.
“We are not against new homes. You can build them above the community centre, which was the original plan.”
They have support from local Lib Dem Cllr Susan Buchanan. She said: “I was led to believe the land was sold to Family Mosaic on condition they provide a community centre. I want to know why this is not happening now and who made the decision.”
Labour councillor James Murray, executive member for housing, said finance was extremely tight. “My understanding is that Family Mosaic just can’t afford to build new housing and a community centre on the site. The centre has had to go.
“For our part, we are pleased that the association are building more social housing, which is particularly difficult to do in the current climate.
“We will obviously work with the residents to ensure that they have community facilities in the nearby area.”