‘Islington is perfectly set up to welcome more high-density housing developments to our borough’

• JENNY Kassman, Islington Homes for All, is right to criticise James Dunnett’s position that housing for people who need it in the borough should in fact be provided elsewhere, (The right to housing in the borough is important for local people, February 9).

I agree with Mr Dunnett (Our housing needs could be better met elsewhere, January 26), that more housing should also be built in outer London boroughs, such as Enfield, as it should everywhere where there is a shortage. But the fact that Islington is already densely populated is not a reason to put the brakes on building desperately-needed homes here as well.

I would argue the opposite. In Islington we already know that high-density living can work well and we already have infrastructure which accommodates it, such as excellent public transport, and shops, and public facilities within easy walking or cycling distance of most locations. This leaves us perfectly set up to welcome more high-density housing developments to our borough.

I would add to Ms Kassman’s letter, however, that building homes to be sold or let at market rates also represents an important contribution to our borough’s housing needs.

While more social housing is hugely valuable, high capital values and expensive private rents demonstrate there is a shortage of housing across all types of tenure.

The same edition of the Tribune included a story on proposals to provide 200 homes as part of a rebuilding of Finsbury Leisure Centre, focusing on the fact that five-a-side football pitches will be unavailable for the duration of the works.

Community groups such as sports teams are a crucial part of our borough’s life, and I sincerely hope that decent alternative facilities will be made available for this period.

The inconvenience of travelling to a slightly out-of-the-way location for a football game, however, pales into insignificance compared with the benefits of providing vital new homes for 200 households.

I am sure our councillors understand that this is the trade-off and I hope they will therefore make the right choice and approve the plans for rebuilding the leisure centre.

A JENKINS, N1