Footballers at Finsbury Leisure Centre

LAWYERS with a track record of championing the underdog have joined a community’s campaign to stop football pitches near Old Street from being replaced by flats.

Residents around Bunhill’s Finsbury Leisure Centre have until the end of the month to tell Islington Council what they think of plans to bulldoze football facilities and build a 20-storey skyscraper, 198 homes – 100 at social rent and 98 for sale to help pay for them – a GP surgery and a new leisure centre with smaller pitches on the roof.

Locals fighting to save the pitches won a small victory this week as the Public Interest Law Centre (PILC), a firm that specialises in holding public bodies to account, took up their case.

Eva Guerra, a campaigner for the residents’ group EC1VOICES, explained: “It is absolutely wonderful news for us. They are the perfect partners for our campaign because they specialise in the type of situations that we are facing now.

“There is no guarantee that we have a chance to win because we have brilliant lawyers on board, but I think it’s a great asset to have for the campaign and a great way of bringing attention to the voices that are united in saying ‘this is not right’.

“This is a massive battle, but we’re not going to stay quiet.”

PILC won a landmark case against Southwark Council and developer Notting Hill Genesis earlier this year, on behalf of a council tenant opposing the demolition of her estate.

In a letter opposing the Finsbury Leisure Centre scheme, PILC lawyers outlined how the redevelopment conflicts with planning regulations, including by undermining the “sense of openness” in the area, reducing the amount of natural light reaching nearby homes, and failing to provide football facilities in the same quantity as those currently there.

New rooftop five- and six-a-side facilities would be less than half the size of the current ground-level pitches – a reduction of 2,000 square metres.

PILC told the Tribune they were “deeply concerned” by the plans and “proud” to support EC1VOICES.

They added: “When plans to demolish public and community space are announced, it’s vital that community groups have access to challenge the process because local planning authorities have huge power, and the system is incredibly complex.”

Trevor Hankins, chair of the Guinness Court Tenants Association in Lever Street for 35 years, also told the Tribune that the redevelopment plans are a “scandal”.

He said: “Everybody is against this. We all understand and acknowledge we need social housing, but not to the complete detriment of a community, and that’s what this is.

“We have Sir Keir Starmer saying he loves football, football’s great for kids. We have Lisa Nandy [secretary of state for sport and culture] saying they’re going to rocket boost grassroots football.

“Well, what about the youth who live in the concrete jungle of central London?

“Where are all the children that are living here and are going to live in these properties going to play?”

Mr Hankins also pointed to the closure of Toffee Park Adventure Playground for redevelopment – not set to reopen until late 2025 – as further evidence that children in Bunhill are being deprived of safe spaces to play.

A council spokesperson said: “Residents are strongly encouraged to submit their comments on the planning application on the Islington Council website.

“As the applicant, we have carefully considered the layout of the new buildings to minimise the impact on our neighbours.

“The new 5/6-a-side rooftop football pitches will be high-quality, built to FA standard specifications, and include a spectator area.”