Top FAQs
Top 10 FAQs
You told us the new courtyard garden should be open to all, not just new residents. The new courtyard garden will be open to everyone during the daytime.
You told us we didn’t need another café here. We removed it, making space for a larger three-bedroom family home.
You told us the leisure centre should have better changing facilities for large groups including schools. We included group changing rooms in our plans.
You raised concerns about the daylight impact of our tallest building. We reviewed the massing of our residential buildings to optimise daylight and carefully located our tallest building to minimise the impact to neighbouring properties.
Stakeholders with accessibility needs told us they wanted a well-lit entrance to the leisure centre with seating outside, drop-off spaces, tactile paving and clear signage. We have incorporated these features.
You told us you enjoy being able to watch games and training on the current football pitches. A spectator area next to the new pitches will enable spectator viewing.
Sports hall users were concerned about external light affecting play. We added design features to minimise direct sunlight entering the hall and suitable mitigation which will also enable privacy.
Why are you proposing to redevelop this site?
This site was allocated for re-development in Islington’s Local Plan in 2013 (Policy BC4) to provide new high quality leisure facilities, a significant number of new council homes and public open space.
It is a rare opportunity for the council to use its own land to deliver 100 much-needed council homes, while also re-providing sports facilities in a new Finsbury Leisure Centre, bringing it up to modern standards. The site also provides space for a new NHS GP surgery, delivering a new modern medical facility for the City Road Medical Centre, in a building designed to best serve Islington communities as they grow. We are also taking the opportunity to improve the public spaces around the development, providing new planting, a courtyard garden and improved streets for walking and cycling.
Why do new homes need to be built?
We are facing a housing crisis. There are over 15,000 households on our housing register waiting to access social housing and only a small proportion of our properties become vacant for letting every year. Last year only 1,022 council homes became available, meaning we could house around 6% of those 15,000 households. Less than half of these properties had more than one bedroom. There is far more demand than supply for social housing and addressing this is one of the councils’ key priorities.
Are you re-providing all the sports uses?
Yes, the current facilities will either be re-provided on site (six-court sports hall, four squash courts, four football pitches) or moved just next door to Ironmonger Row Baths (multi-purpose studios). In addition, there will be a new gym provided at the Finsbury Leisure Centre, which is being re-located from Ironmonger Row Baths and will be almost double the size of the existing one to cater for demand.
How have the design proposals responded to public and stakeholder engagement?
We have carried out three stages of public engagement in July 2022, January 2024 and July 2024 and met with many stakeholders. We have carefully considered feedback in the following ways:
How will current leisure centre users continue our activities during the construction period?
We have put together a list of alternative facilities that users may wish to contact for bookings nearer the construction period. This list is available on our project webpage [insert hyperlink] and nearer the time, we will be in touch with regular users of the existing leisure centre and sports pitches (via the operator, GLL) to provide more information.
Why are you providing space for an NHS GP surgery here?
Our plans include a new, permanent home for the NHS City Road Medical Centre. The current centre has no room for expansion and very limited staff facilities. The new purpose-built surgery has been designed in consultation with the NHS and includes expansion space for two additional consultation rooms to cater for the growing population in this part of the city. The building includes consultation rooms, treatment rooms, and the support spaces expected of a modern facility.
What benefits will there be for existing neighbours?
Our local lettings policy will give secure council tenants already living in Bunhill ward, and who meet the local lettings criteria, priority for the new council homes - with a focus on those whose current homes don’t meet their needs.
Islington’s community will benefit from a new, modern leisure centre and medical facilities, as well as new planting, greenery, walking and cycling routes. The local community will benefit at every stage, whether that’s by access to jobs and training during the construction, boosting the local economy upon completion by bringing more people to this site to use the new facilities, or through new residents spending money in local businesses.
How can I give my feedback?
You can view the planning application documents in full on Islington's Planning Portal, by entering the reference number:P2024/2512/FUL. The statutory consultation period will be open during October and if you wish to comment on the application, please do so directly via the planning portal. These comments are considered by the Planning Officers in their recommendation report and the Planning Committee when they determine the application.
How do you plan to manage construction disruption?
We will work closely with the contractor to minimise disruption as much as possible. Our contractor will produce a Construction Environmental Management Plan and will need to meet certain key requirements i.e. having a Resident Liaison Officer for you to speak to, working hours, and carefully controlled noise levels. This needs to be approved by the Local Planning Authority before any works starts on site.
When will the leisure centre close, and the new buildings open?
Subject to planning approvals, we expect to start building in 2025, which is when the leisure centre will close. We expect the leisure centre and GP surgery to open in 2027. The new homes should be available for residents to move in 2028, based on the current programme.
