Speak up for Sobell

Published: 16 April, 2010

• ISLINGTON Council is spending a one-off amount of £1.7million on the Sobell Centre, including renewing the ice rink, upgrading the central floor space and repairing the roof.
However, the council website states: “The council is still committed to redeveloping the site in the longer term and aims to re-use items such as the new ice rink for a new, improved leisure centre. While this policy remains there can be no long-term improvement budget set aside for Sobell.”
The overwhelming majority of centre users and residents with whom I have spoken demand refurbishment rather than redevelopment.
At their request we are holding a free public community meeting on this issue at Emmanuel Church, in Hornsey Road, between 7.30pm and 9pm on April 29. This meeting is open to all and we expect the hall to be filled with more than 100 people.
There will be a panel with one representative invited from each of the main local political parties, one independent panel member and an independent chair. Islington Green and Labour parties have already confirmed they will provide a panel member.
Each political panel member will speak for a maximum of three minutes to give a snapshot summary of their plans for the future of Sobell. The remainder of the meeting will be given over to questions from the audience.
We have also invited MPs Jeremy Corbyn and Emily Thornberry, Jenny Jones from the Greens, Labour’s Ken Livingstone and Tory London Mayor Boris Johnson to attend, but not to sit on the panel as we see this very much as a community issue. Sobell Foundation trustees and Aquaterra management have been invited.
The meeting will be an excellent opportunity for all parties to convince residents that they value Sobell Leisure Centre and will act on local opinions to ensure its continued presence as an essential community asset.
The party that listens best to the concerns of residents and centre users and presents the most coherent plans for the Sobell’s refurbishment will be the party for whom residents will wish to vote.
BARRY HILL
Sobell user representative