• I WANTED to thank you for the article (City Road: A street of towers, but how many will live there?, February 17) about the number of high-rise developments along City Road dwarfing 1960s council blocks.

I live in one of the council blocks and our views to the horizons of London are now lost to these monsters.

We are losing our sky, our natural light. Of course, after living here 35 years I count myself lucky to have had these wonderful views for all this time.

I wouldn’t mind so much if the towers were full of people in need of housing but these are half-empty, luxury apartments, sticking two fingers up to us as they reach for the sky.

And in the surrounds of Old Street there are new office buildings too – Old Street roundabout is one big building site these days.

We are subjected to dusty air and appalling light pollution. We are constantly expected as concerned private citizens to turn off our lights and save electricity, yet we are being flooded out with light from office spaces which have no curtains and have their lights on all night.
I have invested in thicker lining for my own curtains, like most of my neighbours.

We are so fortunate to have a home in the heart of a city which is rapidly driving its artists, artisans and those working in the infrastructure away from the area by being too expensive.

I have been mailed again with suggestions to buy my property. There are reasons why some of us are still paying rent. The new Housing Act means if I leave the property for any reason, the council will be forced to sell it on the open market. It won’t go to a family in need of social housing. I think that’s immoral.

All areas change over time, but this is exponential. Sadly, I think there is nothing to be done. Protest yes, but I fear protest falls on deaf ears. But thank you for highlighting our situation.

PENNY O’CONNOR
Address supplied