Public Access To NRH Gardens (Section 106)
Maxine K. signed
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Adam B. signed
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The 106 agreements granting public access to NRH Key Site gardens are inherently unfair, prejudicial, ill-conceived and unreasonable, costing all NRH Key Site Residents dearly in financial and emotional terms.
We, residents of the NRH Key Site (Nautilus - Lab - Remus - NRH - Hydra) propose that, until reasonable measures are put in to address the relevant issues (of safety, maintenance, etc), the gates of the Nautilus and Rose Gardens should be locked. We also ask that a meeting been convened by Islington Council to properly address these issues, which have such a grossly unfair and hugely detrimental affect on NRH Key Site residents. Under no circumstances and for no reason should public access to Nautilus or Rose Gardens be increased, as this would exacerbate an already unsafe and unreasonable situation.When the 106 agreements granting public access to NRH Key Site Gardens (Nautilus and Rose Gardens, EC1) were signed by the Developer and Islington Council (as part of the Planning Permission to build the Nautilus Building and convert the Lab and NRH Buildings into flats), no consideration was given to how these 106 agreements were going to be managed or funded.
While the 106 agreements set up an expectation amongst local residents regarding access to the NRH green spaces, they gave no consideration to the people who now live in the NRH key site. This has created an antagonistic atmosphere between the residents of NRH key site (who wish to protect themselves, their property and their privacy) and members of the public (who may wish to use the gardens, for either harmless or harmful purposes). It is clearly unreasonable for Islington Council to bully NRH key site residents into funding and providing a green space for other local residents to use with no regard for the implications of public access for the actual residents of the NRH key site.
As things currently stand, the Nautilus gardens are entirely funded by residents of the Nautilus, Remus and Hydra Buildings (service charges); and the Rose Garden is funded by the residents of the Lab and New River Head Buildings. Islington Council provides no cleaning, care, maintenance, repairs or safety patrols for the gardens. Indeed, the police refuse to attend the Nautilus or Rose Gardens as they are deemed 'private property'.
Since enforced increased public access to the Nautilus and Rose Gardens in 2012, NRH Key Site residents have had to pay the price - both financially and emotionally - for the following:
- wear and tear from members of the public to paths and plants
- increased litter
- dog dirt
- vandalism
- theft
- threatening and anti-social behaviour
These gardens were not designed with public safety in mind. Residents of the Nautilus Building - who have to pass through the gardens to get to their front doors - feel intimidated and unsafe in their homes and in the gardens. Residents living in the southern part of the Lab Building (especially those on the lower ground floor) have no protection (fence/wall) to inhibit public access into their patio space/windows. Residents of the NRH who park their cars or bikes in the covered parking lot are subject to frequent thefts and vandalism (access to the parking lot is through the Nautilus Garden). Furthermore, there is the issue of liability: what happens if a member of the public is injured in one of the gardens?
For all these reasons, we reiterate that the 106 agreements granting public access to NRH Key Site gardens are inherently unfair, prejudicial, ill-conceived and unreasonable, and until appropriate measures are put in to address the relevant issues, the gates of the Nautilus and Rose Gardens should be locked.
Signatories: please have every adult in your household sign separately, and put your address (building) in the 'comments' box when signing.
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