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Cleaner, greener?
• DESPITE the Lib Dem council crowing about addressing the problem of long-term empty homes or potential homes, it has left the Royal Mail pub, and residential accommodation that goes with it, empty for four years (Estate’s tenants call time on derelict pub, June 5).
Despite bragging about providing a “cleaner, greener Islington”, the council has neglected to use its powers to force the leaseholder of this property to address the rubbish and graffiti problems that are adjacent to the homes of Joseph Trotter Close residents. When pressured by our tenants’ and residents’ association to do something about it, it has used council tax-payers’ money to clean the space instead.
Problems have been worse over the last six weeks, since the security system has failed intermittently on Joseph Trotter Close. This has resulted in young people congregating in the stairwells of the block and leaving rubbish and graffiti. When police are called, they simply move to other parts of the estate, as the smashed glass panels at Islington Museum, also on our estate, are testament to.
Despite having police and EC1 New Deal evidence of the substantial difference providing extra resources for youth activities makes on anti-social behaviour problems, far from cracking this problem long-term we have actually lost three youth schemes in this area. As New Deal draws to a close, funding is gradually returning to its former inadequate levels.
No doubt EC1 residents can expect to see, as on the Finsbury estate, a gradual return to former and unnecessary levels of anti-social behaviour, along with attendant noise, nuisance and additional costs of cleaning and repairing associated with it.
SHARRON KELLY
Chair, Finsbury Estate Tenants’ and Residents’ Association
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