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Staff and young people at Springboard Islington |
Charity that trains thousands falls victim to flats developers
‘We do fantastic work but we’ve been treated shabbily,’ protests boss
MANAGERS at a £2million training scheme for some of Islington’s most disadvantaged people fear “shabby treatment” by developers and Town Hall planners will force them out of the borough.
Springboard Islington, which trains thousands of young people and adults each year, claims it is the latest victim of a property development frenzy in Islington, also blamed for the loss of The Mall antiques emporium, in Camden Passage.
The government-supported charity, which employs 40 workers, is being forced out of its 3,000 square feet of workshops in Parkhurst Road, Holloway, after 30 years in the borough. It is seeking legal advice after its lease expired late last year.
But on Monday night, despite an appeal to Islington Council’s north area planning committee to delay making a decision, Lib Dem and Labour councillors approved plans to build 16 flats – 60 per cent of them affordable – on the site.
The committee also voted for Springboard to receive £75,000 relocation expenses, assuming a new warehouse and workshops can be found.
Springboard deputy manager Denis Dillon said: “We were given just a few days’ notice about Monday’s meeting, which in my book is maladministration. It meant we didn’t have time to instruct a property consultant to represent us.
“We have been part of the working fabric of the borough for 30 years. We do fantastic work, but we feel we have been treated shabbily, both by the developer and Islington’s planning department.
“The trouble is that with so much development going on in the borough every nook and cranny is under threat. We doubt if we’ll find suitable alternative premises in Islington, which means we will have to look elsewhere and that will be a blow to a lot of people in this borough.”
The centre supports children excluded from school, and provides much-needed apprenticeships for teenagers. It has the borough’s only full-time NVQ training centre for people hoping to enter the construction industry.
Mr Dillon added: “There’s a huge risk now that the borough is going to lose a huge area of valuable community space.”
The charity has the backing of Islington North Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn, who said: “Springboard have provided opportunities for young people who have often not been successful in school.
“They have also helped many others get qualifications to get them back onto the education ladder. I applaud their work and they should not be left homeless just because a developer wants to build flats.”
The Town Hall’s Lib Dem deputy leader Councillor Terry Stacy said the council was extremely concerned about recent developments at the site affecting Springboard.
“Officers have been asked to work with Springboard to ensure their needs are taken on board by their freeholder,” he added. “We will do everything we possibly can to assist them.” |
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