• IT was heartening to see several letters in the June 12 Tribune in support of genuinely affordable housing.

They, I believe, reflect the opinions of the vast majority of Islington’s residents who will support our council’s housebuilding programme.

Reading these, I wanted to take the opportunity to put on record my support for one such scheme: the development of new council homes at Dixon Clark Court, next to Highbury Corner, which has attracted plenty of ire in these pages previously.

Yet the project will deliver 41 much-needed new homes (27 for social rent and 14 for private sale to pay for the development, because the government provides so little funding for the construction of social housing).

Contrary to the impression given in some previous letters to the newspaper, it will also result in more trees across the site than there currently are.

Of course, I care about preserving our trees and green spaces, but I worry most deeply about children and young people growing up in overcrowded homes in Islington, whose families, owing to the housing crisis, are unable to move into more suitable accommodation.

We all owe it to these families to speak up in favour of our council’s programme to build more genuinely affordable homes, as well as to support its efforts towards cleaner air, more sustainable transport and high quality green spaces for all to enjoy.

TOBY NORTH
Morgan Road, N7