North London residents have gone 18 months with no recycling bins on an estate they say has suffered from poor maintenance and ongoing disrepair.
By Ben Lynch
North London residents have gone 18 months with no recycling bins on an estate they say has suffered from poor maintenance and ongoing disrepair. Several people living on the York Way Estate in Islington have told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) about issues ranging from broken doors to exposed piping.
They added the estate’s owner, the City of London Corporation, has been delayed in its responses to concerns raised, with one saying the impression is the local authority ‘don’t seem to care’.
A spokesperson for the City said it is investing around £107 million to improve properties across all 12 of its social housing estates, with works including replacing windows and lift refurbishments. They added they ‘will continue to work with residents and listen to their concerns’.
The York Way Estate is one of several the City of London manages which sit outside of the Square Mile. Consisting of 275 flats spread across four blocks, the estate is currently in the midst of further development, with work ongoing on an additional 91 flats.
The LDRS has previously reported on residents’ concerns regarding power outages. One person said they had been refused drinking water by the Corporation during a recent incident, despite the power cut meaning none was running in his block.
Jackie Doolan, 63, has lived on York Way for most of her life. Her father was the local superintendent for 30 years, and her three children and grandchildren also live in flats nearby.
“At one time this estate was the envy of people because it was such a lovely estate,” she said. “Now we don’t even mention it, because people just feel sorry for us.”
She said ongoing issues include open ceilings along some of the corridors, with exposed pipes, lights hanging down, flats being ‘overrun with mice’, and a lack of maintenance in areas such as the lobbies.
Antisocial behaviour is also a problem on the estate, she added, with one resident saying at a recent meeting with the City that she had seen people having sex in a stairwell. “They’re (the City) not thinking about us as tenants,” she said. “All they’re thinking about is these new builds. Our flats are going into disrepair because they’re falling apart, but it feels to us they’re not concerned about that. It’s all centred on the new builds. And we’ve brought this to their attention so many times.”
Ms Doolan said her daughter had been having issues with damp and mould in her flat, which she claimed was the cause of her grandson going to hospital three times with bronchiolitis. “What’s the matter with them? They’re putting millions into [the new homes]. Why can’t they just sort us out?”
Max Fras, 42, has lived on the estate since 2011. He also referenced issues including lifts not working and general maintenance, as well as the City’s response time when concerns are raised. “Everything is pretty aged, and the City of London don’t seem to care for whatever reason to fix things on time,” he said.
Mr Fras further echoed Ms Doolan’s concerns about safety and antisocial behaviour on the estate. “When I work here [in my office] regularly it happened maybe once a week that kids or adults would be smoking or taking other drugs in the staircases,” he said.
One particular problem Mr Fras mentioned was that of the estate’s main recycling bins. He said these were removed in January 2023 after being set alight. Since then, Mr Fras said he has repeatedly chased the City to provide replacements, though to no avail. In their absence, he said recyclable material is just thrown away alongside normal rubbish.
“It’s a huge environmental waste. And I don’t understand why the City of London doesn’t prioritise this.”
Another resident, Chelsea Mundie, 31, offered a particularly succinct take on the City’s approach to the estate. “I feel like they palm you off a lot.”
When the LDRS visited the estate, it was a hub of construction activity, with the shells of the new blocks clearly visible. A total of 91 new homes will be added, to be shared between City of London and Islington Council tenants.
Mr Fras, while acknowledging that ‘by and large the works are what works of such scale can be’, said they overlap with ‘the fact this whole place is not well maintained’.
He added that alongside the repair works to the existing blocks: “It’s mostly visual, but just living on a construction site is just slightly exhausting.”
Ms Doolan, whose flat looks directly onto one of the new buildings, said she is concerned about the impact on light and her privacy. She also queried whether the block is in-line with regulations.
She claimed it is meant to be 18 metres from her window, though that her partner had found the distance to be 15m, measured using a laser device. This, she added, is before more brickwork and cladding is added, adding to her fears of intrusion.
Another gripe is that of the limited space allocated for children. Ms Doolan said part of the site originally earmarked had since been used to store containers, removing an area residents had hoped their kids would be able to play in.
“As an estate I understand there are building works, but they have to put something for the children.”
One resident the LDRS spoke to, who wished to remain anonymous, said if she had known about the issues on the estate, she would not have purchased her home. Another, whose property had been suffering with damp, simply said: “It’s sad. It does feel sad.”
A City of London Corporation spokesperson said: “The safety and comfort of our residents is our number one priority. We are aware of the concerns raised by residents and recently met them to discuss how we take things forward.
“The City Corporation is proud to be a social landlord supporting residents and investing tens of millions across the City and six neighbouring boroughs. We are investing around £107m in a Housing Major Works Programme to bring all properties across our 12 social housing estates up to a high standard by 2026.
“This includes replacement windows, kitchens, bathrooms, heating systems, and lift refurbishments. We are also rolling out fire safety improvement works and electric upgrades, replacing roofs and refurbishing communal areas We will continue to work with residents and listen to their concerns.”
