Campaigners gathered outside the Pentonville flats in Wellington Mews, calling for the empty properties to be used to ease the housing crisis

• I WISH, through the Islington Tribune, to thank all in Tollington ward who voted for me at the July 1 by-election.

I am delighted to represent all in the community of Tollington, and am looking forward to working with colleagues in Islington Council as well as community organisations.

My first task as a councillor was to participate in a small, but vocal, protest in the Wellington Mews against the 28 empty Pentonville prison staff flats as reported in Tribune on July 9, (‘Give empty prison flats to homeless’).

This was the second protest organised by Islington Homes for all, against the Ministry of Justice plans to sell off the property to private developers, as part of “Best value for money”.

The selling off of this public land to private developers for 100 per cent private housing needs to be challenged. The council have intervened in this.

As reported, Islington Council had negotiated to lease the blocks in 2019 and use them for the purpose of letting them to families on the waiting list.

These, mostly three- to four-bedroom flats, should go to people in housing need and not to the highest bidder.

Wellington Mews prison warden flats lying empty are a microcosm of a deep-rooted problem of a Tory ideology of selling off public land and property to private developers.

There have been many instances of former ministry buildings being sold off in a big bonanza. Most notably the former Chelsea barracks, which is a luxury development where the only waiting list is for those with luxury investments.

We will see the outcome when this development for these former prison staff flats comes to the planning committee in due course. We will continue to put the case for those on Islington’s housing waiting list to take priority.

CLLR MICK GILGUNN
Labour, Tollington ward