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Islington Tribune - by CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS
Published: 15 August 2008

Highbury Corner open space plan ‘shafted’

PLANS to turn Highbury Corner into one of London’s top 100 open spaces have been thrown into doubt after the government pulled the plug on a key part of the scheme.
Councillors claimed they had been “shafted” after being told the government would not fund a £15million council bid to relocate the post office, a move which would have paved the way to create new open space.
The Town Hall is now banking on London Mayor Boris Johnson to save the overall plans for the busy gyratory, which have cost thousands of pounds to generate.
Last night (Thursday), deputy council leader Councillor Terry Stacy called on Mr Johnson to show his hand over the Highbury plan, saying: “Come on Boris – cough up the results and make your mind up.”
Sources within the Mayor’s office have said consultation responses could take up to two months to be published.
But the Lib Dems say they have been let down by the Labour government over the rejection of funding. Cllr Stacy added: “It’s the government shafting Islington.”
He claims the government have only handed out big pots of money to Haringey and Hackney – two Labour controlled boroughs.
But local Labour politicians have accused the Lib Dems of “taking their eye off the ball” by spending money on the project without securing funding first.

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