Published: 8 June, 2012
by PETER GRUNER

A FINSBURY estate where Islington Council wants to build an extra 140 flats was described as a “sacrifice zone” by residents this week

A car park will be bulldozed and dozens of garages pulled down at King Square estate in Central Street to make way for the six-storey development, which includes the rebuilding of nearby Moreland School.

The outline scheme is up for approval on Tuesday at the council’s executive committee meeting at the town hall.

A new Arsenal artificial football pitch was due to be relocated as part of the scheme but has now been saved.

Resident representative Penny Seal said. “We obviously believe there is a desperate need for more housing but why should we be the sacrifice zone?”

Ms Seal added: “If there will be thousands more people living on King Square and around Moreland School, where is the new infrastructure? There are few chemists and already local GPs are oversubscribed. It’s going to create overcrowding and the kind of social problems that we have managed to control.”

Labour housing chief Councillor James Murray said the scheme was still up for consultation. “We are listening and have kept the football pitch, will increase parking spaces and try and avoid any rat-runs,” he said.