Developers are quids in

Published: 7 January, 2011

• SANDRA Hodgson gets to the heart of the shameless proposal to demolish Highbury Roundhouse – property (Real estate values rule again as Roundhouse faces closure, December 24).                      

At least one keen developer will already have been found for the site and is doubtless salivating over the prospects of the multi-quids in she or he will reap from the borough’s inflated house prices. Meantime, any planning proposal will be justified by Islington politicos as helping address the urgent need for social/affordable housing – as if all housing shouldn’t be affordable.  

If Islington’s political bosses want to launch the much-needed national debate on how to reduce the obscenity of property-price inflation, that’d be great. 

Proposing to demolish Highbury Roundhouse for a handful of social homes, however, while conveniently forgetting the complicity of all three parties in the sell-off of the country’s housing stock under right-to-buy, reveals only the bankruptcy of the administration’s ideas.

MEG HOWARTH
Ellington Street, N7