Highbury East residents say decisions to relocate them to the Mildmay ward would “sever established community ties with the rest of Highbury”.
Highbury natives are protesting against plans to move six streets to Mildmay ward, in a proposed boundary shake-up by the Local Boundary Commission.
Baalbec Road, Liberia Road, Corsica Street, Calabria Road, Fergus Road, Gallia Road and parts of Highbury Grove and St Paul’s road all face being moved into Mildmay.
Almost 300 people had signed a petition against the planned changes when it closed on Monday.
Jenny Puddington, a local charity worker who set up the petition, said the changes would “not reflect the interests, identity or effective representation” of the community.
Puddington, 53, also launched a website encouraging residents to contact the Boundary Commission.
The website claims that Mildmay councillors would give Highbury Fields less attention than elsewhere in the ward.
It reads, “We’d be a weird disconnected enclave, well away from the centre of that large ward. Out of sight, out of mind.”
“I have lived in Highbury for 40 years and wish to remain in Highbury Ward. To quote an old cliché, if it ain’t broke it don’t need fixing.”
In an interview with Islington Now, Puddington said she and fellow protesters had put up posters, rung every doorbell in the affected area, and publicised the issue on social media.
She was upset that the changes hadn’t been more widely publicised and said, “I hope [the community] will respond. All our community is here, in Highbury, not Mildmay.”
However, Sue Lukes, Labour councillor for Highbury East, said the proposed changes would have “very little impact” on residents’ lives.
She said, “They will continue using exactly the same services, they may even end up voting in the same place. Nobody’s moving out of Highbury or losing their postcode.”
Lukes also criticised the “misinformation being put out” persuading people the boundary changes would be important.
“It felt as though there was a lot of pushing and shoving about this very minor change that struck me as being quite improper, in terms of trying to interfere.”
John Manning, a Highbury resident, commented on the 284-signature strong petition, “I have lived in Highbury for 40 years and wish to remain in Highbury Ward. To quote an old cliché, if it ain’t broke it don’t need fixing.”
The Local Government Boundary Commission will finalise their recommendations for the new boundary in January.
