These young people will not be evicted from hostel

Published: 18th March, 2011

• I WOULD like to explain the reasons behind Islington Council’s decision not to grant planning permission for the young people’s hostel, known as Olympia House, in Fonthill Road, Finsbury Park.

The hostel has been run for some years by a company, Active Service, which has been running it unlawfully as it doesn’t have planning permission. It attempted to legitimise its activities in 2007 by claiming the units were “bedsits” – there are 14 in total. 

The current planning application was requested by the council after enforcement officers visited the premises and found the units were not separate bedsits, but that all 14 units were combined together as a facility to offer support to young people with difficulties. Active Service did not make this clear when it applied for the bedsits permission, which the council is about to revoke.

Given that what the committee was being asked to approve was a form of hostel for young people, not bedsits, we took advice from Islington’s Children’s Services. They stated they would not consider using this facility (although they could if they wished) because there are too many units – their preferred option is four units maximum – and the design didn’t provide a reception area to vet visitors.

The number of young people being housed in Olympia House is the key problem. It was clear to the committee that for young people with these types of problems to be properly cared for they need to be housed in much smaller facilities. To put so many in one place is completely unmanageable and will never work. The ongoing nuisance in the area, and excessive call on police time, is evidence this is the case.  

Finally, I would like to correct the statement made in the press that the young people at Olympia House will be “evicted”. The company running Olympia House unlawfully has a duty of care towards the young people, and will have to rehouse them. They will not be “evicted”.   

Hopefully, the young people will be moved to smaller, better managed facilities, where they can be properly cared for. The committee is firmly of the view that this is in their best interests.
Cllr Martin Klute
Labour chairman, planning sub-committee B