Image: Eleanor Busby
As discussions for the development of Caledonian Road continue, there remains a real fear in the community about losing its individuality.
Mohammed Hammoudan, neighbourhood co-ordinator of Team Cally, a group linking residents with the council and local organisations, stressed a main priority should be to keep the street independent.
“We do not want the Cally to become a corporate destination. We must strive to ensure it still has its own identity,” he said.
The plea comes as councillor Paul Convery told Islington Now that Costa Coffee had shown interest in the area in recent months and the landlady of the Prince pub confirmed she had been approached by the coffee chain about the premises.
While Costa could not confirm any approach had been made, a spokesperson did say that the company was “currently evaluating opportunities in the Islington area”.
Currently there are very few chain retailers on Caledonian Road, or “the Cally” as it is locally known, with just one Tesco Metro on the King’s Cross end and a Co-op in the middle.
For years the road has been left behind compared to the more modern areas in Islington; it was portrayed last year in BBC documentary The Secret History of our Streets as a desolate area.
“There was rhetoric about the Cally being a forgotten land, like a wild west where things never quite happened,” said Mr Hammoudan.
However, over the past few years a series of positive measures have been introduced by community group Team Cally and the council to reclaim a sense of identity and breathe life into the quiet road.
The Cally Festival, which has been held for two years, has brought together thousands of people in the area, as has the Cally Market, which started up in November.
This month, the council granted the area £30,000 to develop a community hub, making it the first ward in Islington to be given this investment.
One of the aims of the council’s ‘Cally Plan’ – a movement initiated to develop an identity for the area– is to promote local shops.
A steering group is currently discussing the specific redevelopment ideas. Plans include improving the appearance of run-down shop fronts and decreasing the number of empty shops and permanently shuttered premises.
At a ward partnership meeting in November, some residents were anxious that the multi-million pound King’s Cross development set to open in three years – which includes a 67-acre office, accommodation and entertainment complex – would detract Caledonian business.
Mr Convery stresses that the plan is intended to serve the varied neighbourhood and warned against the effects of chain stores on high streets.
However, he added: “The fact that corporate retailers are beginning to see potential in buying in the area confirms that the Cally is improving . It is becoming more and more attractive to outsiders.”
I have just moved here and the heavy lorries and speeding motor bikes still won’t make people want to drink a costa coffee!! So don’t worry