Courts sectioned off at the Sobell Centre in preparation for work on the trampoline park

• REGARDING the £2million loan by Islington Council to GLL to build this controversial trampoline park in half the Sobell Centre sports hall (Funding for trampoline park is entirely above board, July 21), the point is that this “secret” loan has only been unearthed as a result of a Freedom of Information request by Save the Sobell Sports Hall campaigners.

In many previous emails from the council and GLL, including an information leaflet produced by the council leisure team, it has been misleadingly stated that GLL was financing these works.

As with everything connected to this project, this loan decision has been taken by Islington Council executives without any consultation with ward councillors, or even their decision being recorded in any minutes.

Indeed, the only reference to this far-reaching proposal was buried in a few brief sentences in 152 pages of budget proposals approved at the council budget meeting on February 23, which gave no details of size, timing or funding.

Despite promising an impact assessment prior to a decision being taken and without the full public consultation promised by GLL and approved by the council, just a week later, on March 3, GLL was given the go-ahead.

Campaigners believe the council has acted secretively and is in breach of its legal duty to consult.

Despite the massive outcry against these ill-conceived plans, (the Change.Org petition now has almost 1,000 signatures), a recent customer notice states the sports hall will be closed from Monday until August 9.

With an imminent threat of damaging works, the campaigners have had no choice but to start legal proceedings to judicially review the council’s failure to consult.

This is no way for democratically elected politicians to act. Even at this late stage we would call on the council and GLL to call a halt to the project and, as they should have done, consult with current Sobell members, customers and residents.

JOHN BARBER
www.change.org/p/petition-to-save-the-sobell-centre-sports-hall