New Basin makes splash!

CITY Road Basin, a neglected backwater which for years has been virtually inaccessible, opened to the public for the first time on Sunday.
Hundreds turned out to enjoy a festival including market stalls, Santa’s Grotto onboard the Angel narrowboat, carol singing, a snow machine, mulled wine and mince pies, and a giant Christmas tree lights switch-on.
Executives from the government’s Homes and Communities Agency welcomed the scheme as part of a development which will also include affordable housing.
Officials from developers Groveworld and Islington Council were also there.
City Road Basin Plaza is the first canal-side public space to open in London since 2007. It is a former industrial site, which fell into decline in the 1950s and 1960s and while the water space of the basin has been well-used in recent years by the Islington Boat Club the surrounding land remained undeveloped, unattractive and inaccessible to the public.
Council leader Terry Stacy said: “Bringing previously hidden space into public use is a great achievement and a real benefit for local residents.
“The canal that runs through Islington is a real asset for the community as a park and a wildlife habitat. What better way to celebrate than with some festive family fun.”
The space has benefited from a multi-million pound project to create public access to the waterway – one of the largest open stretches of water in north London, complete with a newly-landscaped public park facing on to the canal.
PETER GRUNER