• THE chair of Islington Homes For All, Morag Gillie, (Moving people out hurts!, February 23) says that I am focusing “on moving people out of inner London as the only possible solution” to the housing problem.

I am not suggesting that anyone should be “moved out”, rather that not so many people should move in as to make living conditions unattractive for them and for those already there.

The population of Islington has in fact grown by about 33 per cent since 1991, but the amount of open space has effectively decreased since open spaces such as those around Dixon Clark Court near Highbury Corner and the York Way Estate are being built on to accommodate more housing, and the New Barnsbury Estate will shortly be rebuilt with 550 additional units (450 for sale) and considerably less open space, at a density 50 per cent above that of the Barbican.

The same developers have recently completed an estate in Lambeth with a density 250 per cent above the Barbican, heading in the direction of the density of public housing schemes in Hong Kong.

In the planning world much higher densities seem now to be considered acceptable than formerly, but London has never been constrained in area as Hong Kong has been.

It has extensive suburbs where densities could be raised moderately and a great deal more housing provided without having to resort to anything like the density of the Lambeth estate quoted.

Historically families have always had to move further out to get more space; but key-worker housing should clearly be provided where it is needed. We should not however condone loss of essential amenities in the inner-city in the process.

JAMES DUNNETT
James Dunnett Architects, N1