Regenerate bit by bit

Published: 5 November, 2010

• IT is amazing that Councillor Arthur Graves should oppose the plans to regenerate Archway (£2m pulled out of hat, October 29).  His party wanted regeneration led by a massive supermarket (and it is not just the size of the shop that is the problem, but the size of the massive lorries delivering supplies). 

This was opposed by most people living in the area, including myself, and I am very pleased that the new Labour administration at the Town Hall realises that regeneration is best done in this area incrementally. That means doing a bit at a time, and improving the way pedestrians can actually get across the roads to the excellent shops and restaurants is a good start.  

I understand that the money which the Labour government had given to Islington for regeneration was clawed back by the Conservative-Lib Dem government but it relented and released some of it back to Islington. It is excellent that our new council recognises that Archway is an important part of Islington. Incidentally, the new administration did put in an extra £1million to repair the potholes which the Lib Dem administration had not repaired.

As for Cllr Graves’s comment that he would have thought that Labour might have come up with a more coherent plan – it did, but was not expecting its budget to be slashed by up to a third by the most vicious government in decades, whose economic policy is driven by an ideological desire to hit the poorest hardest, as evidenced by cuts to benefits for those worst off. He, and his party, should be ashamed of themselves. No wonder so many people are joining the Labour Party. 

KAYA MAKAEAU SCHWARTZ
N19