Local Lib Dems are fighting plans for TfL to extend the Red Route restrictions on Holloway Road to Sundays. Lib Dem objections have meant the process has been suspended for now but the threat of the extension is still very real.

Cllr Laura Willoughby said: “We are very concerned that the proposal to extend operation of the A1 red route had been decided with no consultation with local traders and residents. The impact on local businesses (especially Camden Passage Market at the Angel) could be significant - we must protect our local shops. TfL are using Arsenal match day traffic flow figures as the reason - but we all know that matches rarely happen on Sundays.”

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TfL have been quite since we requested that they stop this mad scheme so we have tabled questions to the Mayor of London for his September Question Time. The questions are as follows:

Young people in Highbury East have an opportunity to bid for money to imrpove services they use - be it a local commununity group, sports team or arts project.

The Youth Opportunities Fund (YOF) gives young people the chance to take decisions about the opportunities they would like to be available for themselves and other young people in Islington.  The YOF has operated for the last 2 years and has been a great success.  In 2008/9 about £300,000 will be available.

The Fund has helped with the purchase of sports and music equipment, provided funding for residential programmes away form Islington, enabled organisations to run new programmes and provided specific support to excluded groups in the community including disabled young people. 

Cllr Laura Willoughby, who set up Listen Up, the project that young people lead to improve services in Islington said:  “This is an excellent fund - get your imagination going, consult with friends and make sure you get what you need for your club or group.”

The YOF is not suitable for individual sponsorship or major capital works to premises.  A separate process will run for capital based projects that will take into account the new resources for the borough from the Youth Capital Fund (£100,000), new council capital resources (£250,000), Youth Capital Fund Plus (£450,000) and an as yet unspecified amount through the Myspace programme. 

This year there is a central application process that will manage £200,000 of the money available.  Applications can be made now and at any time through the year as the young people’s panel will meet every month.  A further £60,000 will be available through schools and an additional £40,000 in the 3 priority areas identified in the strategy: Barnsbury/Copenhagen, Finsbury Park/Tollington/Hillrise and Junction/St George’s.  

Groups of young people can apply for as much money as they think they will need for their project.  There is a DVD to explain and promote the scheme which has been widely distributed.  The application form that needs to be completed is attached along with some FAQs.  Further advice, support and information is available through Listen Up and the key contacts are rita.burrows@islington.gov.uk and anna.spivack@islington.gov.uk alternatively Rita or Anna are contactable on 0207 527 4511.

Four post offices across Islington are facing the threat of closure as a result of action by the Labour Government and Royal Mail. One of those facing the “chop” is at 147 Blackstock Road.

Highbury East Cllr Laura Willoughby has joined Liberal Democrat GLA Candidate Cllr Meral Ece, who are pictured outside the post office below. Meral and Laura have launched a petition to keep the post office open, and are urging local residents to support their campaign.

Meral, who lives close to the post office under threat and who uses it on a regular basis, said, “Post offices like the one on Blackstock Road are a life line to communities like ours that live along Blackstock Road and across Highbury.”      

Highbury Councillor Laura Willoughby added, “Yet another Islington post office bites the dust. Labour and the Royal Mail just don’t care about us.” You can sign the petition by clicking here