The demonstration on the steps of the Town Hall

THEY came with their posters, their footballs and their whistles, with one clear message: we don’t want you to build on our football pitches!

The youngsters and their coaches turned up last Thursday at the Town Hall to make their voices heard over plans to knock down Finsbury Leisure Centre in Norman Street, Bunhill, and rebuild a “bigger and better” sports centre.

Islington plan to build 100 council homes on the site along with a new doctors surgery – and 74 luxury flats to fund the development. As part of the plans, the football pitches will be built on.

Locals and footballers say the pitches should be protected as the only open space in an area that is already one of the most densely populated in the country – and are worried about proposals to move the football pitches to the roof of the new development.

Cllr Diarmaid Ward

Residents living in nearby homes who spoke at last week’s meeting in the council chamber said they had fears about being overlooked and having noisy football games effectively being played “in our living rooms”.

Politicians at the meeting approved an increase in spending on the pre-planning application stage of the £131m scheme.

Finance chief Labour councillor Diarmaid Ward told the objectors he “respectfully disagreed” with them and said building homes for the 14,000 in “desperate need” was a council priority.

He added: “I think this is a great development for the borough – a new medical centre and a new bigger and better leisure centre; a full-size sports hall; four new squash courts; a state-of-the-art gym and a new studio space. I think it’s very, very exciting for the people in Islington.”

A planning application could be submitted in January.