By Alex Delaney
Islington Council have turned their noses up at the Gordon Brown’s attempt to up his green credentials, in what is likely to be his last ever budget.
Lucy Watt, Islington Borough Council’s executive for the environment, said: “Islington council has been implementing green policies for some time now. In this respect the Chancellor is behind the times.”
Gordon Brown is competing with the Conservatives for making the greenest policies and will encourage more environmentally friendly behaviour, with tax incentives for the installation of green energy sources in their homes.
Over the next two years, tax on inefficient cars will increase to at least £400. Owners of many other cars are also expected to face a rise in inflation, or a modest above-inflation increase, but owners of the least polluting cars will enjoy tax reductions.
Gordon Brown’s measures fall well short of the demands of the green lobby and are small, compared to the green policies of local councils.
The budget comes as Islington Council announce a £3 million fund for the installation of solar panels and wind turbines for homeowners.
Islington Green campaigners, Groundwork, are critical of Brown’s proposals. Representative Ben Levinson said: “The budget does not go as far as it could in releasing money for improving the homes of millions of people who want to cut their carbon footprint.”
Sarah Metcalf, who lives in Highbury, and owns a 4x4, says she will be hit hardest by Brown’s latest budget. “ I don’t mind if my road tax goes up, because I own a car that pollutes - what I resent is that Brown is only doing it to compete with the Conservatives.”
Wendy Baverstock, who works for Groundwork, and supports the Islington Climate Change Partnership, said: “ Islington is quite far ahead of other councils and I hope that the Chancellors budget will bring other councils into line.”
The Chancellor has also announced an extra £1 billion to tackle child poverty. With some Islington children being among the most deprived in the country, Brown’s investment in education and child poverty could help those who need it most.
Wednesday 21 March 2007
"Chancellor is behind the times" says councillor for environment
Tuesday 20 March 2007
Retail price index rejig
By Alex Delaney
The ‘shopping list’ of goods in the retail price index is changing. Brussel sprouts and vegetable oil are out - olive oil and fizzy drinks are in.
It seems broccoli is a more reliable measure of our regular shopping habits because it is not as seasonal as other greens.
Technology is the clearest indicator of how much things have changed in recent years with portable radios and CD’s out, and satellite navigation and recordable DVD’s heading for the shopping basket this year.
The retail price index is based on the cost of 650 everyday goods and services. The list helps The Bank of England keep to its inflation targets. The National Office of Statistics collects about 120,000 costs each month to use in its assessment of inflationary pressures on the economy.
Some items are included because the number of people purchasing them means they represent everyday spending; others, such as diamond rings, because it is easy to gather statistics on them.
It is the first year that toothbrushes will be included and the much maligned brussel sprout has been taken out after a stunning 60 years on the list.
The list appears to show a trend in consumer spending towards middle class goods and services. This year the Office for National Statistics has chosen to include the cost of mortgage arrangements and credit card fees. Brie cheese, a bourgeois staple, has however fallen out of favour and is being dropped from the list along with children’s wellington boots and sunglasses.
Highbury residents to a Ford homes on old car garage site
By Clemmie Jackson-Stops
PLANS to redevelop the Highbury Ford garage into 100 homes are causing controversy amongst local residents, community groups and Islington’s historical societies.
The redevelopment of the Ford car dealership on Highbury Corner into residential and commercial buildings was announced last week. It is part of the wider aim of improving the Highbury Corner area and is likely to begin in the next few months.
The garage, which is set to move to Stamford Hill, will have its last day of trading in April. According to Lee Pemberton, manager at the Ford dealership, local customers have reacted positively to the plans: “Some of our customers were concerned about where they would go to have their cars looked at but once they realised we would only be down the road they were happy. On the whole we have had a positive reaction from locals.”
Notting Hill Housing, who have bought the land from Ford hope to begin work on the development as soon as planning negotiations with the council are complete. Rachel Bhageerutty, communications manager at Notting Hill Housing said: “We are delighted to have this new project as there was strong competition for the land. The plans for the site are not yet complete but there will be both shared and full ownership housing available. What is certain is that it will be thoughtfully designed and in keeping with the local area. We are keen to make sure the local residents are happy with the plans.”
However, the news was met with a mixed reaction from local groups, keen to ensure the interests of residents are protected.
Martin Jones, chairman of the Highbury Fields Association, said: “We have been campaigning for the regeneration of Highbury Corner for over 15 years now but this development is not necessarily what we want. You can take it for granted that we, the local residents, don’t immediately say ‘wow’ when we hear of these new developments.”
Mr Jones believes more residential accommodation will place too much pressure on local services: “The problem with Islington is that it has the densest population of any borough in Britain and is also the smallest in London. There is very little green space and the facilities just cannot cope with the increasing number of people living here.”
“Just 400 yards away from Highbury Corner there is another new development being built. We also have over 2000 homes going into Arsenal and another new building going up on Holloway Road.”
However, Peter Powell, chairman of Islington’s Archaeology and History Society, has welcomed news of the redevelopment: “I have lived here for 36 years and thought it was such a shame when they knocked down the lovely Edwardian cottages that were there before the garage. I can’t say Highbury Motors has ever turned me on.”
Mr Powell believes the planning department at the council will take local and architectural issues into consideration: “It is still early days but I have spoken to certain people at the council and they have agreed to keep it on a human scale. This means the building will not be too tall or too bulky. There are some nice modern buildings around here so it should fit in.”
Thursday 15 March 2007
Market rent hikes leave traders at end of fuse
Chapel Market traders face a hike in their rent despite the Council’s failure to provide adequate electricity supply.
Stallholders, who pay £57 a week, are furious at the £5 rise in rent as there has been no significant improvement in the facilities available to them.
Broken electricity cables in the market have led to a decline in the number of stalls, with a large number of food sellers relocating to other markets due to the unreliable electricity points.
Stallholder, George Norcross, said: “It’s diabolical. We’ve got no electricity but we’ve been paying for it. We’ve been waiting for the Council to get it fixed for at least 10 months. It’s driving stallholders away. Every time we ask the council when it will be fixed, the Council refuses to give us an exact day.”
Peter Adamides, Chairman of the Chapel Market Stallholders’ Association, has been involved in lengthy discussions with Islington Council over the increased rate and obtained a postponement of its introduction until April 1st.
He said: “Why should stallholders pay more money for a worse service than 10 months ago? It’s unreasonable to expect us to be happy about this. The electricity cables are dangerous, people can easily trip on them if they’re not careful, it’s really not safe. The only explanation we have been given for the price rise is that the Council wants to balance its books and that’s why they are charging us more. We haven’t been told why the electricity is taking so long to sort out though.”
Brian Roberts is one of the few remaining food-sellers at Chapel Market and says the only reason he is still in business is because his electricity supply is still working. He said: “We’re one of the few stalls in action. Vehicles drive down here at night and damage the electricity boxes. To be honest the supply boxes aren’t built for this environment and it’s really affecting people’s ability to make a living. How can you run a business without electricity?”
Council betrays small business for £45m
John Holland strikes a disgruntled figure. Dressed in a chequered, tatty shirt, he stands at the frontier of the changes that have engulfed the helter skelter world of business in Islington.
Speaking this week to Islington Now, he is by turns angry, disconsolate and fatalistic. His optimism has been dented by years of fighting a losing battle. “It is inevitable that I will go out of business. I could earn as much money working at B and Q as I do here,” he says before pointing a customer to a mosaic-coloured carpet. “It’s upsetting to think about it. On quiet days like this, it gets you down.”
His comments come as Islington Council finalises plans to sell off £45m worth of property. Some 242 shops, warehouses and voluntary group offices are to be sold under the proposals. Local businessmen and women are up-in-arms. They say they are being priced out in an effort to raise hard cash.
A combination of competition from firms on Upper Street, who wield financial clout the handful of bakeries and bric-a-brac stores on Essex Road can only dream of, parking charges and escalating rent rates have hit the fraternity of small businesses.
“I have lost good friends. They cannot keep up with the rates. I pay £600 just to be here. It’s astronomical,” John Holland says, reclining in his chair, blue denim and advertisements for Hook & Leather hanging behind him. “In the last year, I have lost 20% of my customers. I have been fined because of the congestion charge, too. How am I supposed to deliver my stock?”
While John will not be directly affected by the council sell-off, it threatens the livelihood of many around him – his friends and neighbours on Essex Road where a string of shops will be shut down. It is set to rip the heart out of close-knit communities in Islington.
A beret-wearing employee at Haggle Vinyl expresses the exasperation that local traders feel. “Life’s tough. That’s business,” he says wearily, dismissing inquiries about the sell-off programme as “just one aspect” of a many-layered, complex problem before advising Islington Now to clear off. He has business to attend to.
Local business owner Dale Barter has set up a website against the Council plans, complete with a petition signed by over a hundred people. He is chairing a committee that rallies against the proposals and says: “This process is in favour of property developers and against diverse, eclectic local business. Why should 242 properties in Islington have one landlord. It’s positively feudal.”
Mike Weedon, owner of Mike Weedon Antiques, speaks to Alice Wright about owning a business in Camden Passage
Why did you decide to open an antiques shop in Camden Passage?
Islington is my home for a start, so it’s on the doorstep. And the market’s only open two days a week. I couldn’t bear the thought of being a shopkeeper and sitting in the shop all day long. Opening just two days gives me time to go out and buy.
How long has your business been open and what changes have you seen in Islington in that time?
I’ve been here for 30 years. It’s got more affluent in that time but it’s not changed that much. 30 years ago the whole of Islington was a rundown area of London, especially after the Second World War. There was a lot of bomb damage. It’s sort of become gentrified since then but not as much as it would appear. There are still traditional white-collar workers.
How has the antiques business in Islington changed in that time?
There wasn’t an international antiques scene as there is today. But Camden Passage has lost a lot of its antiques. The new generation came in and sold the family silver, so to speak. It’s natural progression that people who were here when I started have passed on. And there’s a huge temptation for their children to flog off the family business.
What is the secret of your success?
I love it. I get a buzz out of buying something. I’m not selling potatoes, I’m selling something beautiful. Antique dealing these days is more of a vocation than a job. You don’t earn so much money, there’s very little room for mistakes. Loving it is more important than knowing what you’re doing.
What is the biggest problem you face as a business in the area?
The rates in Islington have gone up over the years. I pay seven and a half hundred pounds. That’s an awful lot of money. It doesn’t help small businesses. I’d like to see a rating system especially for independent businesses where you pay rates on your profits. The rating system in the UK certainly hits little businesses hard.
What are your plans for the future?
It’s still cheaper for me to have a shop in Camden Passage than to do the three major antique fairs in London a year or to have a shop in Portobello Market. As long as I can afford it I will keep it. I might downsize in a few years time as I get older. I’d like to make more money and not have the responsibility of having a shop. Then I could do more travelling. Selling is dreadful, it’s really boring. Buying is interesting.