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Islington Tribune - by PETER GRUNER
Published: 11 July 2008

From left, residents Sheila Beechey, Maureen Mouray, Jude Baptiste, Brian Heywood, Bron Richardson and Marie Heywood, with Justine Gordon-Smith and Karen Haysman at rear

‘Bring back our benches’ plea puts homes bosses in hot seat

FOR almost 40 years residents have sat and chatted with neighbours on two wooden benches outside the entrance to their 17-storey tower block in Stroud Green.
That was until last month when workmen from Homes for Islington (HfI) – the borough’s housing agency – removed the benches from Ilex House, on the Holly estate in Crouch Hill, claiming they were attracting anti-social elements.
Now, furious tenants are demanding that HfI returns the benches that have been outside the block since 1971. Tenants’ and residents’ representative Justine Gordon-Smith said many elderly and disabled people used the benches for a rest stop on their way into or out of their flats.
“These benches are part of the daily life of the estate,” she added. “It is shocking to think people can remove them without even consulting with residents over it.
“If you are elderly and you’ve had a hip operation, for example, you need somewhere to sit and chat with neighbours. You need to be able to get out of your tower block flat and have somewhere to sit.”
Brian Heywood, 74, said that many of the flats were too warm in summer. “You need to sit outside,” he added. “We don’t have any balconies – we have nowhere else.”
HfI said the benches were removed following a request from Ilex House Tenants’ and Residents’ Association, which was concerned about youths hanging around during the summer. It has now agreed to return some seating.

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