Proposed: The Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration terrace. Image: Tim Ronalds Architects

• THE announcement by the House of Illustration that it is to move from King’s Cross to the largely disused historic buildings at New River Head, off Amwell Street, is greatly to be welcomed, (Roald Dahl and Michael Rosen illustrator to create ‘landmark’ gallery in Clerkenwell, July 31).

This announcement is the culmination of a decades-long campaign by the Islington Society, the Amwell Society, London Historic Buildings Trust and Islington Buildings Preservation Trust to prevent inappropriate development on the site.

Islington Council also made its intentions clear through a series of planning briefs, the most recent in 2013, calling for the site to be developed for community and heritage purposes.

Notwithstanding these aims, Thames Water sold a long lease on the site some 10 years ago to a residential property developer who submitted a series of planning applications to the council.

These were turned down by the planning committee, and again, on appeal, by the Planning Inspectorate.

The four organisations named above set up the New River Head Steering Group with a view to promoting the site to organisations that would be willing to fulfil the terms of the planning brief.

After several promising leads went cold, we were thrilled when the House of Illustration emerged as a front-runner to acquire the site.

The fit between their aspiration to create a world-leading exhibition, education and research centre for illustrators, and the community’s desire for access to the site and to celebrate its heritage is remarkable.

We also look forward to gaining a new pedestrian through-route from Amwell Street to Myddelton Passage, and to increased footfall for the businesses in Amwell Street.

This project has a long way to run, and we are nowhere near the end. But surely we have reached (to quote Winston Churchill) the end of the beginning.

We welcome the House of Illustration as our new neighbours and look forward to engaging with them on this landmark development for the area.

PAUL THORNTON
Amwell Society, WC1