Islington Lib Dems have launched a survey to get residents’ views about what the priorities for Islington should be.

With local elections this May it is time for residents to decide who they want to run the council - the Lib Dems who have a record of success in making Islington better or Labour, whose shameful record includes:

• plans to cut the Whittington Hospital
• voting against Lib Dem plans to put more police on our streets
• and the Iraq war

The Lib Dem have launched 4 pledges. We want you to tell us which of our pledges are most important to you or add your own. You can do this on-line here.
1. We will cut crime

Everyone has the right to live in a safe, clean environment. That’s why local Lib Dems are pledging to cut crime. We will provide more late-night policing on top of regular police patrols provided by the Mayor of London. We will crack down on late licences for bars and clubs. Tougher action will be taken against those who do not clear up after their dogs. Vote now.

2. A better start for our young people
Local Lib Dems on the Council have worked hard to help deliver the best ever school exam results in Islington.
We pledge to build on this success and get better exam results this year too. We also pledge to give local young people more housing points. We will deliver more apprenticeships for our young people to ensure they get the best start in life. Vote now.

3. A greener Islington
Combating climate change and global warming is the single biggest challenge we face. Local Lib Dems are pledging to make Islington greener. One of the ways we will do this is through more local energy generation. This will lower people’s energy bills and create new green, local jobs. Vote now.

4. We will lower taxes
Gordon Brown’s recession means that everyone’s had to tighten their belts. Local Lib Dems believe that money is better off in your pocket rather than in council coffers. Labour councillors voted to raise council tax this year. We’re pledging to keep your council tax among the lowest 10 councils in all of London. Vote now.

5. Or add your own - we want your views too. You can do that by clicking here.

Click here to tell us your priorities for Islington

Demolition of the derilict old works depot in the north west corner of Highbury Fields near Framfield Road is now scheduled for the spring, which will add 300 square metres of park space for residents to enjoy.  After consultation with local residents about how they would like the new area to look, the council has produced an artist’s impression of the corner, which is reproduced above.  There will be landscaped areas with new planting and shrubs, a path to join onto the existing footways, new lighting (in the same style as the existing Victorian-style lamps on Highbury Terrace) and a secure fence to protect the back gardens of houses on the north side of Framfield Road.

Local Highbury East councillors Terry Stacy, John Gilbert and Laura Willoughby are proud that the LibDem-run council has brought about this extension to the useable area of the Fields, a significant step towards implementing the community backed “Vision for Highbury Fields” and towards investing the £1million programme of improvements for the area.

As your local councillors its important we know what you think, so as well as telling you what’s going on in Highbury, we would like you to tell us what you want changed or what could be done better. So here you will find our Highbury East Residents Survey.

This survey is just one way of communicating with your ward councillors. By filling it in you will help us make Highbury East a better place and help set us some priorities to improve things for you.

To fill it in just CLICK HERE

You voted for more trees - now tell us where to put them

You voted overwhelmingly in our on-line poll for more trees in Highbury East. Now you decide where you would like to see new trees in your patch. Tell us your locations by email: Laura, Terry and John by clicking here or in the form below. You can also tell us where you want to see new bins!

You can complete the locations you want to see by clicking here and completing the locations here

Terry, Laura and John joined residents in giving the Arvon Road Community Garden a make over recently, using money from their area community allocation to buy new plants and tools for the garden they joined local residents in tiding up the garden, and planting new plants and shrubs in the garden which is on the corner of Arvon Road and Ronalds Road.

New planters have also been installed at the road closure, and at the top of Ronalds Road by Highbury Fields which were funded by , local residents and their children joined in planting these up.

Terry seems to have been bit by the “green” bug, as he also joined volunteers at the Olden Community Garden the same weekend, to do some general tiding up, planting and digging over the veg patch! Terry, Laura and John have funded a number fo projects at the garden over the last few years, and have helped them secure funding for a new garden building! The garden received the Mayor’s Civic Award this year for all their work over the years.

As you know, every year each councillor in Islington is allocated £6,666 to spend on projects in their ward. Here in Highbury East we pool ours, making a £20,000 fund to maximise the benefit to our neighbourhood and the local community.

So far we have supported a wide range of projects across the area, which have included:

New bike stands installed across the neighbourhood and secure bike parking at Taverner Sq & Peckett Sq

We have provided equipment for youth and OAP clubs in Highbury, including a new bingo machine for the Highbury Roundhouse OAP club and new sports equipment for the Roundhouse Youth Club. The Sotheby Mews Day Centre also benefited from new equipment.

But we need to to help us decide what to spend it on this year. Suggestions are listed below, but we are up for any idea you may have - so vote by using the poll to the left of this story or emailing by clicking here :

We all know that good lighting in our streets and open spaces is important in fighting crime and making us feel safe.

Already the street lighting in many roads around Highbury Fields has been improved. Now it is the time to improve the lighting on Highbury Fields itself. 37 new lampposts have been installed at key locations across the Fields including the area outside Highbury pool on Highbury Crescent, on Queen’s Path between Highbury Place and Highbury Crescent, and on the walkway between Highbury Terrace and Church Path. These are of the traditional style in keeping with the area.

Cllr. Terry Stacy, pictured right, said, “Residents told us what they wanted to see improved on the fields, and we listened and delivered. Along with many streets in the area, lighting on the Fields is to be improved.”

Your local Liberal Democrat Councillors are committed to improving and protecting this unique and well-used open space for local residents and visitors alike.

Record amounts of funding have been secured by your Councillors. Spending on facilities on and around Highbury Fields has begun, and more is planned.

Already we have seen:

- Over £1 million spent on the extension to Highbury Pool to improve the gym and sauna, and to build new fitness rooms;

- The installation of solar panels on the roof of Highbury Pool to reduce its energy costs;

- New fencing and gates at the Childrens’ Play Area;

- New benches and litter bins installed, with more on the way;

- Repairs to fencing around the park;

- Soil and turf repairs underway and new planting coming shortly.

Cllr. Terry Stacy, who has been leading the campaign to get Highbury Fields improved, said, “Working with local residents, the Council has developed a clear vision for this great open space. These are just a few of the improvements people told us they want to see.”

He was joined by fellow Highbury East Cllr. Laura Willoughby, who said, “We hope this is just the beginning. There is still a lot to do, so watch this space!”

As many of you know, after a long consultation process with the community a vision was agreed for Highbury Fields that is helping us make the Fields better for everyone.If you want to see a full copy of the vision click here: click here

What has happened to the fields since the vision document?

• new metal, bow top fencing around the play area new benches
• installed the installation of a 20mph zone around the fields and adjoining roads
• new and improved road crossings (near Ronalds Road) to make access to the park easier

Below are details of what is to come:

Improvements to the Fields Soil and Turf

To deal with large numbers of Arsenal Fans and now summer sun seekers the grass is showing signs of wear and tear. In some areas the grass has been worn away to bare soil which is heavily compacted and increasingly susceptible to water logging. The permanent damage that could result from this is a real concern – it would create real eyesores and water problems. So the grass is going to be re-sown starting next week and up until early July, this will means some areas of the fields will be cordoned off to give the grass a chance to grow. There will also be some changes to prevent future damage. This will mean:

North West end

• The path to the West of the ranger’s hut will be removed and grass reinstated in its place.
• The first set of steps will be removed, and cobble stone reinstated in its place in character with the surrounding area.
• The post and rail fencing will be extended, down Highbury Crescent, to the second set of steps, again in character with the existing post and rail.
• A gap in the fencing will be created opposite the Ronald’s Road crossing. This gap will have an inbuilt, extendable tube, to allow for it to be closed on Arsenal match days.
•  Existing damaged post and rail fencing will be rebuilt

South East end – Highbury Pool

The area between the Highbury Place path to the playground (roughly opposite Calabria Road) and the edge of the fence to Highbury Pool is also heavily used by pedestrians and in shade for the greatest part of the year. Discussion with your councillors, residents and officers concluded that restoring grass in this area was unlikely to succeed creating a unusable space. So instead the council will fence off the area using black bow top fencing to match the playground and encourage pedestrians further up Highbury Place. There will also be planting of low growing, native shrub species to hide changes in styles of fencing. These works will be completed by the end of June 2008.

Development of a Tree Management Plan

By the summer of 2008, the council’s tree service will have the started consultation process for the tree management plan for Highbury Fields. This document will define the long term maintenance and planting objectives for the trees on the fields.

Development of a Management Group for the fields

As agreed with residents the councils is setting up a new management steering group for Highbury Fields, which will be chaired by Cllr Stacy. If you would like to be part of this group then please contact Laura Sanna, Greenspace Ranger, on 07825 098451 or laura.sanna@islington.gov.uk

The council’s tree service has just bought a new piece of equipment which will make themanagement of trees an easier task by being able to assess tree disease and decay.

The equipment has already saved a tree on Highbury Fields. The ‘picus’ machine can work out the extent of decay inside a tree using sound waves, a bit like an ultra sound machine used for checking unborn babies. 

Information gained from a picus test enables a tree officer to make a much more informed diagnosis of the condition of a tree. In the past the unknown extent of decay in a tree often left no safe option but to fell. This equipment can’t be used to assess every type of disease that affects trees, but it will be invaluable to Islington’s tree service in assessing the condition of trees with external signs of trunk decay, and will allow a wider range of management options in many cases.

Islington is also one of only a handful of local authorities with this equipment.  See below an example of a scan, the colours indicating the different consistencies of wood, and attached, a photo of tree officer Sheridan Sayer using the picus at Highbury Fields. 

For more information please contact James Chambers on ext 4572 or e-mail james.chambers@islington.gov.uk.

As many of you have just received your council tax bills again it is worth looking at the projects that have been agreed in this area as a result of your donations to the climate change fund.  As you will remember, along with £3m from the council, residents were able to donate their council tax discount of £20 to the fund.  The aim of the Climate Change Fund is to fund individuals and projects to improve the environment.  Residents can bid for help with projects in their own home (for more information click here. ) and community and public buildings can apply for match funding.  In Highbury the following projects have been approved:

• Highbury Pool - over £100,000 towards solar thermal energy
• New Park Day Centre - nearly £20,000 towards solar thermal energy
• The Ecology Centre had over £20,000 for a biomass boiler
• Residents in Birchmore Walk on the Highbury Quadrant Estate will get  solar thermal energy

And there are lots more projects to come.  If you run a community building or have ideas for a project do let us know.

Highbury East ward Councillors were proud to nomiante Maryse Lassartesse-Jones and Martin Jones for the Mayors Civic Award last week.  Martin and Maryse are treasurer and chairman of the Highbury Fields Association.

For ten years they have worked relentlessly for the conservation and improvement of the fields and surrounding area, including the new tennis courts, the children’s playground and the transformation of the Oasis Café.

Cllr John Gilbert in his nomination speech said “It is great to be able to recognise the hard work of martin and Maryse, they give so much of their time and to reward such dedication is fantastic.”

The Mayors Civic Awards recognise residents of the borough for their major and unique contribution to life in Islington. People like Martin and Maryse often go unnoticed, so the awards ceremony was a way to say a big ‘thank you’ to all of them.

If you know of someone who does a lot for the community here in Highbury do let us know and we can ensure they are nominated next year.