Estate manager Bryan Kennedy

RESIDENTS living in a Highbury block of flats have accused the council of unfair treatment over what they describe as a series of broken promises.

Tenants of Dixon Clark Court (DCC) have put up with four years of rubble, noise and pollution as their homes became a construction site – previously it was the scene of an intense three-year battleground between the council and environmentalists who moved into trees in a doomed attempt to try and save them.

Now residents say they have been let down by council chiefs over promises they would be able swap their homes for newly-built flats on their estate at the point of completion.

In April Islington adopted a new Housing Allocation Scheme, and that same month a letter dropped through their letterboxes telling them they would now need to join the housing register and must have 120 points to bid. Some failed to get enough points.

An Islington spokesperson yesterday (Thursday) apologised for any “misunderstanding”.

Amira Youssef

Amira Youssef, who works as a PA, has lived in the block for 14 years. She said she felt “betrayed” by the council after she was told she didn’t have enough points to join the register.

“Before the construction started, Dixon Clark Court was a peaceful and pleasant place to live, surrounded by trees, greenery, and a small private park behind the building,” she said.

“Now, the area is littered with rubbish, and the constant noise and pollution from the building works have significantly impacted my health. Moreover, the initial promises made by the council have not been fulfilled.

“We were assured of reduced council tax and given priority for new flats in the new-build.

“However, we were only allocated 100 points, which is below the minimum requirement of 120 points. This has left us feeling betrayed and neglected.”

Estate manager Bryan Kennedy said: “I’m a direct witness to the fact that on several occasions tenants at Dixon Clark Court have been promised by the council that they could transfer to the new-builds adjacent to the block.”

New homes (left) next to the older buildings at Dixon Clark Court in Highbury

He went on to suggest “there appears to be a culture in the new-build team of just telling residents on development sites what they want to hear to get through the stages as fast as possible” and claimed residents were also promised a cut of up to 80 per cent in council tax to get the development over the line.

Last month Laycock councillors Heather Staff, Nurullah Turan and Ilkay Cinko-Oner also wrote to officers after their surgery was flooded with panicked residents who had just learned like-for-like swaps were off the table.

“This evening several residents from DCC attended our surgery, very concerned about what is happening and what looks like a breach of agreement between Islington Council and the residents,” the councillors wrote.

In their correspon­dence, they highlighted a council poster stuck to the front of the develop­ment which promises current tenants “first dibs on the new flats”.

“The residents and us rightly feel let down by the council and that the agreement was broken,” they warn.

Tenant Yilnaz Ocak, 52, said the council had been unfair.

“I was there,” he said of a number of meetings council staff had with tenants. “They said if anybody would like to exchange, they have the first priority.

“They didn’t say they were going to be on a waiting list or housing list, whatever. If you want it, they said, you can exchange it.”

Council staff are expected to visit the estate on Monday but have been warned by tenants any self-congratulatory-style tour will be unwelcome.

Workmen at the site this week

A council spokesperson apologised over what it called a “misunderstanding” over the need to join the housing register – and have enough points to join it – but insisted they would get first choice on new homes.

He said: “The scheme protects social housing tenants at Dixon Clark Court by affording them a greater priority – or ‘first dibs’ – on the new homes before anyone else on the Housing Register is considered.

“We are building 27 new council homes on the estate and have so far received more than 40 applications from current Dixon Clark Court tenants on the Housing Register.

“The new homes will be allocated fairly and in line with our Housing Allocation Scheme, on the basis of need.

“We are sorry for any misunderstanding that may have occurred about the legal require­ment to be on the Housing Register, and have extended the deadline for applications to 12 June for Dixon Clark Court residents as a result.”