After years of campaigning, LibDem councillors in Highbury have succeeded in getting the council to agree to resurface the notorious pot-holes in Witherington Road.

We were initialled told by the Labour councillor in charge of roads that the council would only fill pot holes in “working-class areas” of Islington but after LibDem councillors, Terry Stacy, John Gilbert and Julie Horten got the council’s Chief Executive personally to intervene, the entire length of Witherington Road is now to be resurfaced.  Preliminary work on the drains will start on 25 January and the main resurfacing work is scheduled for 20-1 February.

The bottom section of Highbury Grove from St Paul’s Road to the Baalbec Road junction is also due to be resurfaced shortly, including the short section of Highbury New Park where it leads from Highbury Grove to Grosvenor Road.  The preliminary work on the drains will also take place on 25 january with the main work spread over 4 days from 16-19 February

Highbury Clock Tower which was built to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria is set for a new lease of life to mark the  Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II this year.

Residents have complained over the years that the Clock Tower is in need of improvement works.  The council will now fund cleaning and re-painting works as well as other repairs to what is a local feature and focal point in the Highbury community.

Councillors from both political parties on Islington Council have agreed to fund the improvement works from their local budgets.  Highbury East councillors will be allocating £15,000 and Highbury West councillors £3,000 to the improvements.

The Tower was completed in 1897 to mark Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.  The clock was last refurbished in 1997 by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Heritage of London Trust, the Highbury Fields Association and Hugh Grover Associates but has not weathered well.

Highbury East Liberal Democrat councillor Julie Horten said:  “I’m glad that Highbury’s councillors have been able to work together to give the Highbury Clock Tower a new lease of life.  It is a great way for Highbury to mark the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and a very appropriate historical reminder of why the clock tower was built in the first place.”

The council is planning to chop down a healthy mature London Plane tree on Highbury Fields and drastically prune 5 others (by as much as 40%) later this month. The trees, which are thought to be approximately 120 years old, are part of an avenue of plane trees running from Highbury Grove to Church Path behind the One O’Clock Club and backing on to Baalbec Road.

The reason for the cull is a fear that the trees may be causing – or may only threaten to cause – subsidence in the houses on Baalbec Road. A potential alternative solution, which the council did consider, would be to dig a root barrier: effectively, an underground fence installed in a trench between the trees and the houses. This would solve the subsidence problem and allow the trees to remain for the rest of their natural lives, another 100-200 years at least, in all their glory, but the council has rejected it on grounds of expense – the barrier would cost in the region of £75,000 to install, although there would be additional costs involved in gaining access to dig and reinstate the trench. To put these costs in context, the trees are valued at over £600,000 and the council is currently estimating that it will underspend its capital budget by £30 million this financial year.

Meanwhile Highbury Councillors Julie Horten, John Gilbert and Terry Stacy are trying to plant more trees in the neighbourhood. We have used the small part of the council’s budget we control to fill some vacant tree pits in Framfield Road with species of tree chosen by residents living nearby. Our picture shows John and Terry helping to plant one of the trees last month.

Highbury East councillors were pleased to hear that a fishmongers will be opening shortly in the old greengrocers’ shop on the west side of Highbury Barn.

We are very keen to support the diverse range of independent shops in the Barn and to do all we can to support our local shopkeepers. We have been active in bringing Christmas lights and summer flowers (both cut by the council) to the Barn, in opposing the proposal to turn the pub into a supermarket, in paying for and distributing promotional Highbury Barn canvas shopping bags, in installing new bike racks, in refurbishing the square etc, etc.

The addition of the fishmongers will encourage more people to shop locally in the Barn to the benefit of all the shopkeepers and local residents.  We welcome this new addition to our local shops.

Geoffrey Darke, the architect who designed Seaforth Crescent in Aberdeen Park, the entrance to which is shown here, died last month aged 82.

Geoffrey Darke was responsible for several public housing projects in Islington including the Marquess Estate (now renamed the New River Estate), Northampton Park and Camden Road.

His obituary appeared in the Guardian on 20 December and can be accessed here

Responding to the news that Islington Council will be extending its borough-wide 20mph speed limit to include main roads managed by the council, Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition and Highbury councillor Terry Stacy, said:

“Residents, campaigners and Liberal Democrats have been calling for this move for months now so I am pleased the council has listened and roads such as Highbury Grove,  Highbury Park and Blackstock Road will now have 20mph limits.

“Slowing traffic down to 20mph has a proven effect on saving lives and there has been a welcome fall in the number of fatalities on Islington roads over the last ten years as speed restrictions were introduced. However, there have been some very high-profile fatalities in recent years in Islington and every one is one too many.

“It was confusing that the majority of roads in Islington since last summer had a speed limit of 20mph, while others were 30mph. Now the council needs to make sure it finds the funding to make this promise a reality.”

An estimated 250 people, the biggest crowd ever, turned out on Saturday to watch local resident “Suggs” from the ska band “Madness” turn on the Highbury Barn Christmas lights.

The ceremony, which has become a Highbury tradition, despite a slight hiccup last year when the council tried to take it over (see our post here and press coverage here) was accompanied once again  by carol singing led by the St Joan of Arc church choir.

Local LibDem councillor, Terry Stacy, organised the event, which was funded by contributions from fellow-councillors Julie Horten and John Gilbert from their local initiatives budget and by Highbury Barn shops, including La Fromagerie, Godfrey’s Butchers, Mrs Lovell’s Fruit, Veg & Flower Shop and the Highbury Barn Traders’ Association.

We are delighted that, after years of campaigning and months of work on site, the new cycle crossing over Holloway Road by the Central Library is now operational

Local Highbury councillor and keen cyclist, John Gilbert, commented:

“It is a real relief to be able to cycle across this busy road safe in the knowledge not only that lorries, buses and cars on Holloway Road are held on a red light, but that the drivers can actually see the traffic lights, which northbound drivers could not before”

“The campaign, which my colleagues in Highbury East, Terry Stacy and Julie Horten and I have been pursuing for many years now, is an object lesson in local politics. We are grateful to our colleagues in the Green party and local community groups for their support in the campaign, but we have seen no evidence of any participation from other political parties despite this crossing having become a notorious blackspot which has caused at least one death and numerous near misses”

“Labour (motto “on your side”) have had two councillors representing St Mary’s ward on the other side of the crossing but it has been Terry, Julie and I together with Sue Buchanan, the one LibDem councillor in St Mary’s, who have made all the running in chivvying council officers to get on with this work.  The Tories, who are now a completely spent political force in Islington, have been totally absent from the campaign and, in fact, have contributed to the delay, through the incredibly bureaucratic procedures adopted by TfL, which is controlled by the Tory mayor”

“All I can say is thank goodness we got there in the end”

“Suggs“, the lead singer of 80s best-selling band Madness, will be switching on the Christmas lights at Highbury Barn. He joins the list of Islington celebrities that have switched the lights on in Highbury to date, including TV presenter Clive Anderson, author Nick Hornby and actress Gwyneth Strong from Only Fools and Horses.

Suggs will be joined by the choir and band from St. Joan of Arc Church. There will be Christmas carols, live music and festive treats. The Mayor of Islington will also be in attendance.

The event brings together local resident groups, community groups and traders and is in its fifth year. The event has been sponsored by Highbury East councillors, Julie Horten, John Gilbert and Terry Stacy, from their local ward budget and by local businesses, including La Fromagerie, Godfrey’s Butchers, Mrs Lovell’s Fruit, Veg & Flower Shop and the Highbury Barn Traders’ Association.

This event joins a long list of community-based acvities in Highbury to support local shops that have been supported by Highbury East councillors. These have included a campaign to encourage people not to use plastic bags through the distribution of over 1,000 re-usable cotton “Highbury Barn - shop local” bags and the re-introducation of hanging flowers this summer after they were axed by the Council. The Square outside the popular Highbury Barn pub and Beach Hut Fish & Chip Shop was recently refurbished with funds secured from the Mayor of London by Highbury East councillors.

Highbury East councillors have been consulted about a proposal to build a mobile phone base station on top of the new residential block at 219 Blackstock Road, which also backs onto Canning Road.

We understand the benefits of a comprehensive network of base stations in giving good mobile phone and mobile broadband coverage and are also aware of the weight of scientific studies (although many seem to be commissioned by the industry) which demonstrate that base stations are not harmful to health.  Nevertheless other studies have reinforced concerns about the health effects of long term exposure to high concentrations of mobile phone signals particularly where base stations are close to other base stations, as the proposed new station will be to the existing O2 station on top of the Arsenal Tavern public house.

As local councillors, it is our job to represent the interests of our constituents. 219 Blackstock Road is a residential block with other residential properties in Blackstock Road itself and in Canning Road close by.  We are anxious to know the views of local residents about this proposal and have set up a website which you can access by clicking here on which people can register their concerns.

Of course, you can also let us know your views by emailing us on councillors@highburyeast.org.uk or by leaving comments on our website, http://highburyeast.org.uk or our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/councillors or by writing to us at 3 Northolme Road, Highbury, London N5 2UZ.