This work is part of the Council’s plans to make The Cally Islington’s second liveable neighbourhood.

A shop owner on Caledonian Road said: “We just want these potholes and roads to be fixed; the road is a mess.”

Caledonian Cllr Paul Convery said: “I know there’s people who may say ‘Oh why don’t you fix the pavements and potholes instead.’ Well, we have re-laid pavements on the east side of Caledonian Road and, in April, will begin renewing almost all the pavements from just south of Copenhagen Street all the way to the railway bridge.”

The improvements to The Cally aim to realise the five themes of the We Are Cally Community Plan, including creating more opportunities for children and families, supporting local businesses and employment, fostering community connections, enhancing green spaces, and improving health and air quality.

Faiz, who has run the fruit and veg market stall on Story Street for nearly 15 years, has been repositioned to Tilloch Street during the works.

He said: “It has impacted my business too much, and now we are struggling. It will be hard when we move back to Story Street as customers will have to get used to it again.”

Caledonian Road has seen extensive road works, road closures, and bus diversions over the last few weeks following the major flood on Caledonian Road, three weeks ago.

Convery said: “I strongly support this and Cally Councillors have been closely involved in the design.

“There has been extensive public consultation which showed considerable public support.”

He added: “The reason is to create a much better pedestrian environment and give the Cally High Street a boost…it will be used for market stalls.”

Islington Council has already pedestrianised Tilloch Street and Freeling Street and has started works on Story Street.

Cllr Convery said: “Cars driving through Story Street have always been a bit hazardous for customers standing in the roadway.”

Islington Council is investing £1.25 million to deliver projects in Cally over the next few years.

They received an additional grant of £350,000 from the Greater London Authority as part of the Good Growth Fund.

The post Cally revamp underway by Imi Dobber appeared first on Islington Now.

Refill Therapy, which stocks refillable groceries and eco-friendly products, took over its Holloway Road Branch in June, and since then have been providing Islington Residents with net-zero approach to shopping.  

“The passion for refill is huge in Islington,” said co-owner Alpesh Patel, who started out with a flagship store in Hackney Wick. “It’s had a really positive impact.” 

Refill Therapy started out after Alpesh’s business partner, Dax, was given a hard time by his six-year-old son about how much plastic waste the family was making.  

Each branch stocks local products, sourced ethically and with sustainable packaging, alongside refillable food so customers can take the exact amount they require. The Islington branch sells coffee and honey made in the borough.  

“The main aim is to reduce plastic waste, food waste and carbon emissions,” said Alpesh.  

Nearly two million tonnes of food waste is produced in London each year. Shops like Refill Therapy aim to tackle the issue by enabling customers to take the exact amount they need.  

“When you buy food, you might end up throwing away half the packet because you don’t really need it,” said Alpesh. “Here it’s a mindful experience, you buy what you need, the quantities aren’t decided for you by other people.”  

While the Islington branch was faced with scepticism at first, the brand has grown from selling 400 products to more than 2,000.  

Part of its success has come from adapting to the local market, shifting the model from selling the sustainable packaging popular in Hackney to focusing primarily on refill.  

“It’s about making sure people realise this option is out there,” said Alpesh. “When you’re doing refill, you have to think and make it into a habit. But once you get past that habit, you’re reducing your impact on the environment.”  

Refill Therapy hopes to make sustainability more accessible, price matching their budget range to Sainsbury’s along with offering more premium products.  

“We don’t need one person to shop perfectly,” said Alpesh. “We just want everyone to change one thing and have an impact on the environment.” 

The post Local grocery shop provides a greener way to shop by Amy Rushton appeared first on Islington Now.

“My business has grown and changed with me,” she tells Islington Now. “I first learnt to knit at 11, but my main medium is crochet as it’s quite free and forgiving.” 

The trailblazer will host a workshop this month at the Islington Stitch Festival, which will take over the Business Design Centre from March 19 to March 22. The festival endorses and puts a spotlight on independent pattern brands and hosts a variety of small businesses. 

One word to describe Tiana’s art? Colourful. Her portfolio consists of bags in differing neon shades and she appears on the video call wearing clear cats-eyeglasses and a vibrant deep blue top. It’s clear that Esparon’s brand isn’t just a marketing tactic but a deep part of her. “My brand is who I am,” she says. “As women I think we all should be loud and take up space – there’s enough room for everyone.”  

Sustainability in fashion is something Esparon feels deeply about, and she believes that fashion brands should be doing more to prioritise ethical practices. “There is a way to be more sustainable, brands just need to choose an angle and expand on it.” Esparon believes that focusing on specific practices such as using up-cycled material could make all the difference. 

Esparon also argues that women-owned businesses are inherently more sustainable. “If people want to invest in ethical fashion they can start by supporting women-owned businesses,” she says. “We’re simply more ethical – it’s in our DNA.”  

Women have always been her role models, and her greatest influence has been her mother, who Esparon believes gave her the confidence to be the woman she is today. 

“My mother was a teen mum, and the world put boundaries on her, so she poured into me. My inner voice is my mum; I hear her when I want to go against the negative.” Esparon says. 

She shows off one of her own crochet hot-pink crescent bags, adorned with pride flag and Free Palestine pins.  

“People want to be involved in the process of their clothing; they want to show personality which is why I think bag charms are so popular now.” Imaginably, this could explain why her workshops do so well. She hosts monthly queer-craft socials at House of Denna, a cafe in Woolwich 

The ever-optimism of Tiana is contagious as she shares with Islington Now her hopes for the coming year. “Somewhere down the line, I want to start my own t-shirt yarn brand,” she says, “I hope by 2027 to open up my own community cafe to host more workshops and support other small businesses.”  

Esparon often refers to herself as delusional and prides herself and her business for self-admittedly going against the grain. She said: “if you have a thought, it means it exists somewhere – be delusional enough to think that you can make it and you will.” 

The post “My brand is who I am”: In conversation with Tiana Esparon by Aiesha Akenzua appeared first on Islington Now.

Reports of Domestic Abuse in the borough rose by 18 per cent between February 2025 and February 2026. 

PCSO Aketchi, a member of Finsbury Park’s Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “Violence against women and girls is a very important issue for us. We try as much as we can with our resources to be visible and available.” 

Finsbury Park had the highest number of reported offences in Islington between February 2025 and February 2026, totalling 244. 

Tufnell Park recorded the sharpest rise in incidents, with a 48 per cent increase between 2024 and 2026.  

The Met says it has given priority status to Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in several wards, including Finsbury Park, Arsenal, Laycock and Highbury. 

Last year, Islington Council won an award for their work housing victims of domestic abuse.  

Anna Shewring, the Director of Domestic Abuse Development Partners project (DADP), which works closely with Islington Council and the police, said: “Through the project, we’re seeing that the challenges survivors face in Islington stem from deeper systemic issues rather than isolated service gaps.” 

Ms Shewring acknowledged that a main issue faced by survivors is inconsistent services. 

She added: “Survivors still tell us that navigating support can feel fragmented and overwhelming. 

“By creating space for statutory partners and the voluntary sector to learn alongside survivors, we’re beginning to identify structural barriers – from inconsistent processes to cultural assumptions – and build the trust and conditions for more equitable systems to take shape.”  

The post Domestic abuse rises by 20 per cent in Islington by Joanne Hamilton appeared first on Islington Now.

“Homelessness is a system-made crisis,” said Councillor Hannah McHugh at Tuesday’s council meeting.

The council’s homelessness review found the average stay in temporary accommodation in Islington is around 10 to 11 months. This is much shorter than many neighbouring boroughs where families can remain in temporary accommodation for years, according to the report from this year’s Homelessness Scrutiny Review. 

“Being in temporary accommodation is very unsettling. It makes it hard for people to keep their jobs, it’s hard for their kids to thrive in school,” Cllr Ruth Hayes said. “So that is a real achievement.” 

The latest cut report was released with 21 recommendations on how the borough can continue to tackle rough sleeping and people living in temporary accommodation. 

The main reason given in the report for the borough being asked to step in was to help people with re-homing this year was due to friends or family no longer being willing or able to accommodate their loved ones. 

“One of the good scrutiny topics next year will be looking at what are the impacts of rising rents and the affordability issues discussed,” Cllr McHugh said. “I thought the discussion of antisocial behaviour is another fertile place to look.” 

Some of the recommendations include focusing on housing specifically for women, helping stop the flow of people to temporary housing by assisting with hospital discharge options, and assisting people in the transition phase of leaving temporary housing. 

“The mixture of hidden disabilities, large family make-up, and location of choice that they can only live in because of safety will prolong that period of time in temporary accommodation,” Ian Smith, director of housing operations and deputy corporate director for Islington, at the meeting. 

The council aims to address the root causes of homelessness, by making sure housing allowance rates reflect local rent prices and enable the council to buy more properties in the neighbourhood for temporary accommodation.  

The review panel highlighted that the main cause for lack of permanent housing in Islington is poverty. The council agreed it isn’t possible to tackle the underlying issues that lead to homelessness without changes in national government policy. 

“Behind every number is a human being,” Mr. Swift said of all the families and individuals the council has aided this year.

The post Hundreds of households in Islington saved from homelessness this year by Katelyn Faubel appeared first on Islington Now.

Now, an artist-lead collective based in Angel is working to revive Islington’s activist past.  

Gallery and cultural centre, Cubitt, launched its community press in 2024. Now on its third edition, the zine is handmade by volunteers with contributions from community groups around Islington. It is holding an exhibition, hosted by the local history centre and Finsbury Library, placing its work alongside historical print, such as newsletters and radio from Islington Bus Company, a collective centre which operated from a double decker bus in the 1970s.  

Anahí Saravia Herrera is one of the curators of the exhibition and a Civic Fellow at Cubitt who helps run the Community Press.  

“Islington already has a fair amount of community infrastructure available,” she said. “But we wanted to create a space where people can pick up a skill in a more autonomous way and actively share their own stories.” 

For the next edition the group raised enough funds to purchase their own risograph, a kind of printer which can produce unique colours and textures. They host workshops for Islington residents, and anyone else with a connection to the borough, to learn how to use the printer and play a part in the paper’s publication.  

“There’s something very exciting about print in a digital age. You can amplify and spread information online but with echo chambers how far can it really go,” Added Anahí. 

For the group, she explained, print is a way of using posters and print to occupy public space and reach local people. Their issues so far have featured contributions from groups such as Islington Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and covered topics from social justice to Islington’s History.  

Their next issue will focus on mapping Islington’s history and addressing the legacy of radical and community press which has been lost to gentrification.  

“The Islington we know today used to hold very radical spaces but its’s been lost since the 80s,” said Anahí. “London is becoming more privatised, more expensive, and gentrification is cleansing spaces of radical grassroots work. 

“One resident told us in their neighbours you can 10 places to get a coffee but nowhere to get a pair of socks… you can’t live in Angel anymore.” 

It’s something Cubitt has had to battle in more ways than one. In January, they found that their current lease will not be renewed and the group will be forced to move after October 2026. They are yet to find an alternative space and are currently focused on a fundraising campaign to find a new home.  

These current challenges bear resemblance to the campaigns of their predecessors, the radical and community press in 1970s/80s Islington.  

“What we’re doing isn’t new,” said Anahí. “It’s part of a long legacy of radical work.” 

The post Behind the artistic collective aiming to revive Islington’s radical history by Amy Rushton appeared first on Islington Now.

The Quentin Blake Centre is set to open in May, but neighbours fear its application to hold events serving alcohol in the new exhibition space will create noise and anti-social behaviour. 

One resident, Toby Hughes, said: “The community was encouraged to have such a cultural hub in their midst, but it looks like [the centre] wishes to turn it into much more of an entertainment venue. That, coupled with people leaving late at night into such a quiet neighbourhood, would be a bit of a disaster for the area.”  

Neighbour, Max West, is leading the charge; she has made two petitions since February to object to the license, both of which attracted more than 100 signatures.  

Ms West said: “The quiet of this place is exquisite and fundamental to the well-being of everybody in this neighbourhood.”  

The centre has applied to host ad hoc events serving alcohol seven days a week from 8 am to 10.30 pm, including on bank holidays. 

Ms West said this unrestricted “club license” would disturb the quiet cul-de-sac on Myddelton Passage. She said: “We’re going to hear everything. We know that when people drink, they get louder.” 

A spokesperson for the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration said: “We value our relationship with the local community and take any concerns seriously.

“We are deeply committed to both minimising negative impact and making the Centre a positive, valued amenity for the local community, as galleries, learning spaces and gardens. We have also reassured residents that there are restrictions in place on the frequency of commercial events, the timing of activities and the use of music.” 

Residents are awaiting further action from the council. A council licensing sub-committee will meet on 24th March to discuss the centre’s licence application.  

The post Residents outraged over Quentin Blake art centre ‘disaster’ plan to host late-night events  by Anna Hindmarsh appeared first on Islington Now.

A campaign to raise money for Islington Boxing Club has been launched to replace its ramshackle building.  

The club located on Hazellville Road, has served local residents for decades and currently operates from portable cabins that were built in the 70’s and were only meant to be temporary.  

These distinctive red portable cabins have become a familiar landmark in the area, but club leaders say that the building is no longer fit for purpose.  

Club manager Reggie Hagland said: 

 “The site was never intended to be permanent. It was used for workers that were building the Elthorne Estate across the road back in the 70s. They offered the site to us, and ever since then it’s been our home.” 

The club has built a strong reputation within the borough, providing training opportunities for amateur boxers and people looking to improve their fitness and confidence. Hagland emphasised that the club’s impact extends beyond competitive sport.  

“It’s not just about people who want to become champions,” said Hagland. “Someone might come in to lose a bit of weight, gain self-confidence or improve their wellbeing.” 

The proposed redevelopment would create a multi-purpose facility designed to expand the club’s community work. Alongside a new boxing gym, plans include classrooms, a multi-purpose gym and areas that could host a range of community events. 

“We want it to be a multi-purpose building,” Hagland said. “Somewhere that can serve the community in other aspects as well.” 

To help make the project a reality, the club has launched a public fundraising campaign, encouraging supporters and residents to contribute towards the cost of the new building and help secure the future of one of Islington’s longest-running grassroots sports clubs.  

To donate go to: www.justgiving.com/campaign/newbuildislington 

The post A knockout plan: boxing club fights for redevelopment   by Chaya Nathan appeared first on Islington Now.

“After six years, it’s about time that we refresh our climate action plan,”?Councilor Rowena Champion, said at the 10 March Islington Council meeting. ? 

Feedback from different community members will inform the?new plan, which will be implemented later this?year after review. 

“Everyone’s individual experience is different, and we want to get as many people’s experiences as possible,” Cllr Champion said:?“That’s how we shape our plan going forward.”?? 

Successes from the first year of operating under a Climate Action Report? included the?creation?of an emergency volunteer network, developing a cool space map, and upgrading greenspaces to include  more areas for prayer for Muslim residents.? 

One of the largest?updates highlighted in this year’s public report?was?the creation?of an Islington Borough Energy Plan which aims to?decarbonise?council buildings and social housing by introducing low carbon heating upgrades. 

The panel also?announced that?the Islington Community Energy Fund has completed its final round of funding for six projects, which will save 34?tonnes?of carbon per year.?To?date,?the fund has granted over £760,000 in funding to 59 energy projects in Islington.? 

Councillor?Una O’Halloran, Leader of Islington Council,?said: “As a council, we cannot do it on our own. It is everybody’s responsibility.” 

The council encouraged residents to get involved in climate-positive groups like the Islington Fixers who meet and volunteer to repair anyone’s broken items, or one of the Nature Neighbourhoods in the borough that preserve wild areas in the borough.  

Tanuja Pandit, chief executive of Power Up North London, said during the meeting that her organization aims to decarbonise community buildings and helps people who are struggling with their energy bills. She hopes “[the community will] come to us with your challenges so that we can help more of you to deliver the changes we need to deliver, collectively, to tackle climate change”. 

Cllr?O”Halloran?commended the work of the Climate Action panel,?saying everyone plays their part when addressing this crisis, and?reiterating the council is:?“committed to keep going and to keep working on the climate.” 

The post Paving the way for new environmental change in Islington  by Katelyn Faubel appeared first on Islington Now.

Poll’s predict Greens to take Islington by storm in the May local elections

With all of Islington’s 51 seats up for grabs on 7 May, new data predicts the Green Party could win big.

PollCheck data projects the Greens will maintain control of Highbury and gain all three seats in Tufnell Park, winning 13 seats across 9 wards.

Jo Dowbor, Green Party candidate for Arsenal ward in Islington told IslingtonNow that the Party’s position on Palestine has won them support across the borough. She said locals are hugely disappointed with Labour’s stance.

Ms Dowbor added that on a local level: “The number one issue for most people in Islington, regardless of income, ethnicity or gender, is housing.”

The Islington Greens want at least 50% of new housing developments to be ‘genuinely affordable’, also campaigning for the introduction of rent controls.

Ms Dowbor said: “Even if we do not gain the majority in 2026, and we gain more seats, it will put pressure on labour councillors.”

With the Lib Dems predicted to win two seats from Labour in St Marys St James ward, the Labour stronghold in Islington is looking fragile.

“I think it will send a strong message to Keir Starmer and his guard that they need to change their behaviour,” said Ms Dowbor.

Islington Greens are already the official opposition on Islington Council, alongside four independent candidates who work in coalition with the Greens.

Ms Dowbor told IslingtonNow that they are specifically targeting Highbury, Tufnell Park, Clerkenwell, Mildmay and Tollington as these wards are most likely to turn Green.

In the long-term, the Greens are also looking to win seats in Arsenal, Barnsbury, Caledonian, and Canonbury.

If Greens were to win all their target wards, they would gain a majority in the council, with 27/51 seats.

In a Guardian op-ed, London Mayor Sadiq Khan wrote that Labour must stop channelling Reform and unite with progressives: “A political strategy of taking liberal, progressive voters for granted is clearly flawed.”

The predicted wave of Greens support is part of a wider political shift both regionally, and nationally.

According to a new poll by Bombe for the Guardian, Labour is on course to lose 741 seats across the capital, with the Greens to scoop up the most of Labour’s losses.

In line with these projections, the Greens could end up with the most council seats across London with 548 seats, Tories in second with 481, and Labour trailing behind in third place, with 415.

Bombe’s polls suggest that Labour could lose control of Camden council, home to Prime Minister Kier Starmer’s own parliamentary seat.

Reflecting on the Greens’ rising popularity, Tony Travers, a professor of local government at the London School of Economics, said: “What’s interesting looking forward to the elections in May is that there is clearly a threat to Labour in Islington and neighbouring boroughs, Camden and Hackney, that will come as a bit of a shock to the system for Labour, who’ve seen themselves as really embedded there.

Mr Travers echoed Ms Dowbor on the importance of international events to Islington voters. He said: “The election refers to issues well beyond the locality, it refers to pro Palestine activism, and if anything, it’s slightly tilted towards the international end of the political spectrum, rather than the hyper local one or even the national one.”

Mr Travers said the local elections in the short time will likely “be a protest vote as at Gorton and Denton, won by the Greens, and the Runcorn by-election, which Reform won from Labour.”

But he added: “there’s something going on in the longer term as well, because the arrival of the Greens on the scene, sitting at 20% or more in some opinion polls, is unprecedented.”

Mr Traver’s explained how he believes this political shift “is more than a blip” with local elections reflecting a national shift towards “something that looks more like a multi-party, European party system”, where the Greens and Reform are making massive gains up and down the country.

You can register to vote in local elections until the 20 April on the Government website.

The post Is Islington going Green? by Imi Dobber appeared first on Islington Now.

Five years on since its founding in February 2021, the group has grown into an online community with over 2,000 members.  

Each week, without fail, it hosts a competition in which 25 to 30 core members take photos focussing on a specific theme, and the ten best entries are posted on the Nextdoor website for locals to vote on their favourite. 

The group was founded by professional photographer JC Hermier during the COVID-19 lockdown in February 2021.  

“It was a way for people to take photos and come together while we were all very bored and scared,” Hermier said.  

Describing himself as the “guardian” of the club, Hermier said the group aims to create discussion about the art, encouraging conversations and friendly debates between family and friends about their favourite photos from the week. 

“It’s not always about having the best photos, but it’s about creating a community,” Hermier said. “We have young members, old members, we are very different in a way, but we have become a family.” 

He added: “People voting on next door say it is the one thing they look forward to in the week, while there is all the misery in the world.” 

He has facilitated a “very positive” online community that rarely receives negative comments in their competitions. This shared eagerness for creativity has evidently bonded members, who Hermier says have become “friends for life. If somebody has been having a rough time, someone will come and help them.”  

Connections have lasted beyond the online space too with real-life meetups, as photographers have hosted events every few months including “photo walks”. For the club’s last event, they “took cameras and phones and went by Hackney Wick, walked around for a couple of hours and had a drink”. 

Due to high demand, this year, Hermier is hoping to organise a photography exhibition in Islington with some of the winners from previous competitions to showcase his favourite images. 

The post The local photography club creating ‘friends for life’  by Evie Selby appeared first on Islington Now.

It comes after more than 90% supported a walkout in a ballot on industrial action. 

“I am proud of this result, the demand for action is so strong,” said Christina Paine, University and College Union (UCU) branch chair at London Met University. 

“Despite postal delays and a devastating situation, our members have delivered a historic result by decisively smashing the trade union ballot thresholds. This vote sends a clear message that staff are united in defending jobs, protecting our university, and demanding a serious alternative to compulsory redundancies,” she added.

Should the cuts go ahead, staff and students fear the impact it will have on their careers and education. Beata, a PhD student who is neurodivergent, told IslingtonNow last week that she risks losing both of her supervisors who she has built a solid working relationship with.

While senior lecturer Glyn Robbins told IslingtonNow that he is at risk of losing his position teaching Community Development and Leadership which he said would threaten his only source of income.  

Staff and students have protested the proposed cuts since then. The ballot had a 51.32% turnout, providing the simple majority needed. The window for voting lasted two and a half weeks, and 92 members participated in the vote.  

Ms Paine said: “This vote was not easy. Many colleagues voted yes to strike action while facing the threat of losing their jobs. That took real courage. I want to say clearly that I salute the bravery of everyone who stood up and voted to defend their colleagues, our students, and the future of the university. 

“The London Met branch will now seek urgent negotiations with management to secure a fair and just way forward that protects colleagues and avoids job losses. At the same time, this strong mandate means we are fully preparing to take industrial action if management refuses to meet our very reasonable demands.” 

IslingtonNow has asked London Metropolitan University for comment. 

The post Staff vote to strike at London Met University following proposed job cuts  by Claudia Efemini appeared first on Islington Now.

Members of Islington’s pension fund are being consulted about plans to end its investments linked to conflict and genocide. 

Proposed changes will reduce the fund’s holdings in companies profiting from the Israel-Gaza conflict from 0.1 per cent to zero per cent.  

This involves ensuring the fund pulls investment out of companies alleged to breaches of international law and human rights. 

“This is a long-delayed but laudable and just move. We should not taint our homes, hands and souls with genocide money,” said Islington resident Hanif Virani. 

On March 11, an initial three-week engagement process began with 300 randomly chosen pension fund members, as a precursor to the full six-week consultation planned for May.  

The consultation comes less than two months before local elections, in which Labour is predicted to lose seats to the Greens.  

Campaigning about the government’s stance on the Israel-Gaza war has been credited as one of the reasons why the Green Party won the Gorton and Denton byelection on February 26.  

Paul Convery, Chair of Islington Council’s pension committee, said: “We have taken several steps to extricate the council’s finances from companies that are considered complicit in aiding Israel’s war against Palestinians and one of these is to continue divesting from such companies.”  

He added: “The pension fund is preparing to divest all holdings in companies accused by the UN Human Rights Council as economically exploiting the illegal occupation of Palestinian Territories.” 

“The council has opposed Israel’s war in Gaza and the continued occupation of the West Bank. The council has publicly called for ceasefire, a release of all hostages and prisoners, and supported calls for an embargo on the sale of offensive weapons for this conflict,” Convery said. 

The authority is also planning to formally “twin” with Aizariyeh in East Jersualem. This would be Islington’s first twinning agreement for more than 40 years.   

The post Pension fund plans to end investments linked to genocide by Evie Selby appeared first on Islington Now.

Council tax was raised by a total of 4.99% as part of the new budget for 2026/27, which was approved on February 26.  

Those living in an average (Band D) property will now pay an extra £1.46 per week.  

Other parts of the tax levy are also rising, with the mayor’s portion of council tax increasing by 4.1 per cent in 2026/27.  

“We are already living in a cost-of-living crisis, so why raise the council tax to unacceptable levels,” said Jacqueline Harris, a resident of Caledonian Road.  

“Where is the money going? Around where I live the roads are full of potholes.” 

The increase is part of a wider plan to raise funds to tackle core issues in Islington, including a £324m investment in current council housing and £5m to address anti-social behaviour, public space improvements and street cleanliness. 

A resident who has lived in Islington for 25 years and did not want to be named, said: “We got an email from the mayor who said we are going to be charging you up to the maximum but we’re doing all these wonderful things – liveable streets, better safety, better communities. It’s just craziness, because you might enjoy those things but they’re luxury values.”  

She added: “There is going to be a lot of people who are really going to see their council tax jump and then they have to move out.” 

The Council Tax Support Scheme will receive £28m investment, used to support financially vulnerable homes so lowest income homes will pay no council tax.  

But other residents feel that the increased rates are justified.  

Alexander Gardiner, of Tufnell Park, said: “I think we have a really well-managed council with a huge demand on its services and great need in the community. It has to put up council tax if we’re to avoid cuts to key services.”  

Paul Matz, who lives in Highbury, said: “I’m reasonably happy with it. It would be great if they didn’t have to make an increase, but the council has to try and maintain services at as good a level as they can.”  

He added: “I think the council generally makes good use of its funds.”  

Islington Council declined to comment.

The post Residents divided as council tax raised to maximum by Evie Selby appeared first on Islington Now.

The project, run by Islington Council, is planning on putting accessible public toilets, a new park keeper’s office, and an area for mobile food and drink vendors in place instead.  

Oasis in the Park cafe was a small business run by Yehia El-Nemer for 22 years on a council tenancy. In 2024, he was told by the council that his cafe was going to be torn down.  

Many Highbury residents are saddened by the loss. One resident described the cafe and owner as “beloved”, and that it was such a massive part of the [Highbury] community.  

Residents will miss how accessible the cafe was. “The brilliant thing about the Oasis was that it was an a far more accessible place [than most] for everyone to be able to get a hot drink and some hot food,” said one. 

Though the council initially told Mr El-Nemer it would rebuild a new cafe in its place, last July they changed its mind and decided not to. On its website, it said that “the cafe building is not affordable in today’s challenging economic climate.”   

Many residents are disappointed by this change of plan and feel like council money has been wasted.  

Highbury Fields is one of Islington Council’s locations for its park improvement projects which seek to revamp green spaces across the borough. The project began in August 2025 and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.  

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Used nappies could soon be solving Islington’s pothole problem. 

A pioneering recycling scheme will see local roads resurfaced with repurposed plastic nappies. 

Disposables collected in a borough-wide trial are being taken to a dedicated recycling facility to be turned into material to resurface roads.  

The NappiCycle plant in Wales is the first of its kind in the UK. Operations director Craig Masters said: “We are taking waste in from Islington into our plant, and we will reprocess that material into a product that will be put back into local authorities’ highways.” 

The plastic nappies are cleaned and then melted down to make a bitumen modifier for the asphalt used on highways. 

More than three billion disposable nappies are thrown away in the UK every year. It is not known how long they may take to decompose, but they are predicted to last for at least 500 years, long outliving the babies they were used on. 

Single-use nappies currently make up around 8% of North London’s residual waste. 

North London Waste Authority (NLWA) is working with Camden and Islington councils to trial the new recycling service.  

Residents in trial areas will be able to put their nappies out for a separate weekly collection.  

NappiCycle claims that as well as the environmental benefits of repurposing nappy waste, their asphalt formula is expected to make the roads quieter and longer lasting.  

Some residents are concerned over how parents are meant store nappies throughout the week. 

Aisling McGrath, a mother in Islington, said: “If there was a good handy way to store the bin bag so that it wasn’t too gross to keep it for a whole week, I think it would be a really good idea. 

“There needs to be a storage component, but I definitely think if that was an option most mums would want to, because they [nappies] make up such a huge amount of waste.” 

The nappy bin bags must be put out within one metre of property entrances by 7am on weekly collection days. 

The dedicated recycling bags cannot contain any other waste, including tissues and wipes. 

Eligible households can order pink recycling bags for used nappies from Veolia.  

If you’re a parent, you can also get a £70 voucher to spend on reusable washable nappies. Switching to reusable nappies can save families up to £1,000 via Real Nappies for London.  

Alice Walker, Real Nappies for London Project Manager at Women’s Environmental Network said: “Recycling schemes like this, which also highlight reusable options, are a positive step, but the priority should always be given to prevention and reuse.” 

You can get more information about the trial and the included areas from Camden or Islington councils.  

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“Slaves have it much better than women in Iraq,” she said. “There is even child marriage and women have no rights to child custody.” 

Sawsan is originally from Iraqi Kurdistan, and is the director of the Kurdish and Middle Eastern Women’s Organisation (KMEWO), which provides advice, education, and financial support to Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) women. 

Sawsan said: “I was new to this country. When I came here in 1994, I started to be a voice for the Kurdish people, and people encouraged me to start an organisation.” 

Many of the MENA women she helps came to the UK on spousal visas and cannot speak English. This makes them vulnerable to coercion from their husbands. 

Starting out as a campaigning organisation, KMEWO now provides holistic services to women and aims to bring people together with community events.

“The best way to communicate with people is to party. Kurdish people, they like music, and Kurdish dress, and dancing,” she said. “We have to build trust between us and society. We have links with mosques. We do training on domestic violence.” 

On 20 March, KMEWO and Islington Council are hosting a Nawroz event at the Assembly Hall. Open to the public, it will be attended by Islington Council and the Mayor. 

Nawroz is the Persian New Year, a festival that marks not just the arrival of spring, but also renewal, hope, and the promise of new beginnings. This year, however, celebrations will be muted due to the current war in the Middle East. 

“There will be no music and dance this year because of what is happening in Iran,” Sawsan said. “The whole country is on fire.” 

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Digital downloads dominated the early 2000s, with global digital music sales doubling to around £1.5 billion in 2006. But by 2007, vinyl records made a miraculous comeback and have increased in sales ever since. 

A record-breaking boom was seen during the pandemic. In the midst of business closures, vinyl sales soared. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) recorded by 2022, vinyl records were the most popular format of physical recorded music since 1987, overtaking the sales of its previous rival, the CD. 

“I think people like to have a collection, and to see what they have. Similar to having a whole lot of books on a Kindle compared to having physical copies on your shelf,” Mark Burgess tells Islington Now. 

Perhaps, that is why in 2026, record shops continue to take over London. 

Mark Burgess opened the first Flashback Records store on Essex Road in 1997 after working in various record shops across the city. With almost 30 years in the making, the independent chain has become renowned across North London for its vast collection of records and CDs, as well as the many events it hosts in support of the local music community. This Record Shop Day sees a performance from the bands Godzooki, Middleman, and Test Plan. 

“I set up Flashback with the intention of making it a very accessible place for everybody. I feel that record shops could be very intimidating places, and I wanted it to be the anti-thesis of the high-fidelity thing of people being chucked out of shops if they didn’t like the music.”  

Record Shop Day is one of the store’s most exciting days of the year. The event was established in California in 2008 as an effort towards championing independent record shops, with special vinyl releases and performances.  

The day isn’t just about fans and after-party gigs – logistics play a massive part in the success of the event. Using online surveys, customers can signal what records they would be interested in purchasing. With over 500 options ranging from ‘Then’ by The Charlatans to Ethel Cain’s ‘Inbred,’ the vast array of record options reflects the trans-generational demographic of Flashback Records. “We always have a diversity of people coming in and whatever it is you like, it’s absolutely fine – we’ll help you find it.” 

Burgess stresses that while many people come in for Record Shop Day with a specific record in mind, the element of discovery is the real reason the shop is so successful. For people looking to get into record collecting he has two pieces of advice:  

“Get yourself a half-decent record player and then go and follow your ears.” 

Record Shop Day this year falls on Saturday, April 18. 

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Right to Grow, an initiative to turn unused green spaces into gardens which feed the community, has been adopted in Islington.  

The project, developed by Incredible Edible, hopes to address unequal food access. It would require local authorities to allow community gardening on public land through free leases.  

Katherine Lowe, Islington Campaign Lead, said the group sought to increase access to fresh and healthy food in the borough, making it less reliant on supply chains of expensive imported food which could be disrupted by climate change, wars and pandemics. 

“It’s about community engagement and getting people empowered to feed each other,” she said.  

In January, the Islington Climate Centre along with Octopus Community Network and Islington Food Partnership held a People’s Assembly on Food, discussing concerns over food insecurity.  

Islington has a 43 per cent child poverty rate and has seen an uptick in foodbank usage in recent years.  

Food grown through the project will go to volunteers, lunch clubs and community kitchens. The group is also planning to grow seedlings to help other community gardens get up and running.  

Right to Grow has already seen success in Tower Hamlets, but the Islington branch face a bigger challenge. With only 3.6 metres of green space per person, Islington is the least green borough in London. 

“There is space,” said Katherine. “Hospitals, buildings with open roofs – we want to show people that in quite small spaces you can still grow a lot.” 

In the coming months, the group plans to take walks around the borough to find public land. It is working on a motion to put to the council.  

“The next step is public involvement,” said Katherine. “We’re always looking for young people who want to get involved in a local political campaign.” 

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Dina is a Portuguese citizen who moved to Islington from Cape Verde in the 1990s and works as a nurse. She is now standing as a Green Party candidate for the Tollington ward.  

She says that Islington is “a microcosm of London’s diversity” but the local authority is “leaving our communities behind”. 

Dina’s move into politics was inspired by her frontline experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. While serving as a public speaker for NHS England, she connected with local communities in Portuguese and Creole to offer health information. She was shocked by the high levels of health misinformation and lack of support available for these groups.  

Along with this concern, the impact of “decimated” budget cuts to public health services on these communities, inspired Dina to run for council in her local area, Tollington. “I have to be there and make sure people are making the right decisions,” she says.  

This disparity in representation is a systemic issue across London. Data from the Migrant Democracy Project (MDP) shows that although 40% of London’s population is made up of first-generation migrants, they form only 16% of elected councillors.  

“The majority of councillors in Islington are white men belonging to one single party who can decide whatever they want without any real consultation from the communities in their area,” says Dina. 

“Not everyone is at the table for you to have conversations about communities (…) and to reach a conclusion that embraces the majority,” she explains. 

Dina is optimistic about her campaign and the trajectory of the Green Party. She’s eager to turn her years of community care into political action for Tollington.   

“The campaign is going really well. It’s been positive to hear the people asking questions about the Greens and interested and excited about the party,” she said.   

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