How long must our secret oasis remain out of reach?

Published: 3 June, 2011

• THE Olden Garden in Highbury is incredibly beautiful, especially at this time of year. It is an almost secret oasis in Whistler Street, close to the Arsenal Stadium.

Part of the Olden Garden is the woodland area alongside the Highbury Roundhouse. It is like a magical forest and hard to believe that you are within a mile of central London.

Yet, since last August most of the wood has been cordoned off by the council, because of the allegedly dangerous state of the Roundhouse building.

Highbury Roundhouse committee has contested the closure of the building. It has been advised by eminent consultants The Morton Partnership that the building can be repaired at a fraction of the cost of demolition. More than 600 people signed its petition, with graphic descriptions of how the Roundhouse has helped and involved the community (www.savehighburyroundhouse.co.uk).

Nevertheless the council plans to go ahead with demolition, despite the low cost of repairs, and the disruption caused by demolition.

Meanwhile, the Olden Garden woodland area   remains largely closed and unmaintained. To the outside observer there seems no logic to this.

The Olden Garden wants to involve more of the community in its activities. We are having an open day on Sunday, June 19, from 2pm to 6pm, when visitors can enjoy the garden, see the vegetable area, the orchard, the growing vineyard, the edge of the forbidden wood and join us for tea and refreshments.  

An annual subscription gives access to the garden, a regular newsletter, the opportunity to help with gardening, and information on our campaign to reopen the wood.

CARRICK JAMES 
The Olden Garden Committee
N5

• AS a result of Highbury Roundhouse’s lobbying and the outrage voiced by the community, Islington Council has been forced to give a public pledge that it will “re-provide the Roundhouse with a new building”. 

It has agreed to put in place a “legally binding agreement” to ensure it delivers this. Both of these moves are welcomed by me and my fellow Highbury East councillors. They go some way to dealing with the community’s concerns.

But they leave a number of questions unanswered about the Roundhouse, its site and the centre’s long-term future.

The council has failed to commit to a building of the same size as the one it is demolishing, and is avoiding any discussion about future ownership.

It has not committed to a detailed planning brief for the Roundhouse site so that the community can have a say about what is built. Residents are rightly concerned about council plans to pack the site out with high-density housing.

The council says nothing about maintaining and enhancing the neighbouring open space. It should pledge that any development of the Roundhouse site will mean no reduction of open space and no building on Olden community garden.

It has said nothing about the urgent action needed to repair the boundary garden walls in Whistler Street and Battledean Road. Will it carry out this work and if so when?

The council has said some positive things about “financial support” for the centre but nothing has been decided. In what form will that support come? 

The centre’s services are spread across seven sites and this commitment is needed to ensure its sustainability and long-term future.

While these questions remain unanswered, the fight continues to secure the Roundhouse’s future. We cannot afford to take our eye of the ball.

I urge the council to make a clear and public commitment to the centre and its future. No more secret meetings or decisions behind closed doors. Highbury needs the Roundhouse, so the battle goes on.

CLLR JULIE HORTEN
Lib Dem, Highbury East