• WE’RE delighted that work is beginning on the new Highbury Roundhouse at the old bottleworks site. It will be a fantastic new community centre, and we’re pleased to contribute £1million towards its costs and a lease on the land, so Highbury Roundhouse Association can move ahead with its plans.

Can I clarify one small point from last week’s article (Work set to start on new Roundhouse, February 10). The council never planned to sell the old bottleworks site “to housing developers”. We did at one stage consider building social housing on the site, either ourselves or with a housing association. However, long ago we agreed a new community centre on the site was the best way forward.

The council will still be building badly needed new council housing nearby. After the new Highbury Roundhouse opens next year, services currently provided at Sotheby Mews will move to the new community centre.

The council will then redevelop Sotheby Mews and existing buildings at Ronalds to provide more council homes, with some homes for sale to help fund the council’s £1million contribution towards building the community centre. There will be full consultation on this proposal.

CLLR DIARMAID WARD
Labour executive member for housing and development