In those days, councils were choosy about who got to live in the shiny new homes and prospective residents had to pass a test.
But over the years the estate became neglected and by the time Islington Council passed it over to the Peabody Trust in 1998, it had become a completely undesirable place to live.
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| Source: peabody.org.uk |
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| Source: peabody.org.uk |
Former Peabody area estate manager said: "At the time Priory Green estate was infamous for issues of vice. Between 80 and 100 used needles were found most weeks, many left spike up in the grass to ward off residents. I remember my shock at seeing hundreds of needles removed from the lift pits, and communal areas openly used by drug dealers and prostitutes.
"On my first day after the transfer we discovered a flat used as a cannabis farm. In the first month I attended my first armed police raid. Little did I know this was to be the first of many raids.
"Drug dealers commonly used the 73 bus, which handily skirted the local CCTV on Pentonville Road, to deal to people. Drug users would hop off the bus and use on Priory Green itself and Wynford Road, which neighbour the estate.
"As well as the drugs, prostitution was also rife, with prostitutes and their clients making use of bin chambers and hidden areas on the estate"
Since then the Peabody Trust has turned the estate around. It renovated the buildings, constructed a new playground, introduced landscaping and a new entrance block.
Here is the entrance building
A special thank you to Michael Donnelly for taking these pictures.
Nice Article! Thanks for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteGreen Deal Advisors
Really good post showing that maybe all is not lost with social housing.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Thank goodness for Peabody! Turning this lovely estate around in a sympathetic manner.
ReplyDeleteI lived at No 36 Redington House. We came from Lever Street off City Road and yes they were choosy in those days.The removal vans had to be fumigated overnight before you were allowed to move in to the new "Flats" I think to get rid of bed bugs etc.I was eight years old and found the balcony absolutely the height of luxury. We moved from two rooms with outside WC on the landing to the luxury of three bedrooms a living room a kitchen , bathroom and wc. Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteI currently live on the Priory Green estate and I have to say your pictures and words make it sound picture perfect. Sadly this is not the case, since its “upgrade" in 1998, although improved externally, this is now showing the inevitable signs of age. Internally is even worse with rusting metal door frames and skirting, not to mention the cracks in the walls and ceilings as well as the communal heating and very cheap double glazing that let's all the cold in! No signs of the old community spirt and being told that the estate is overrun with gangs now instead of the previous prostitutes! Drugs are still smelt from my window too, so nothing has changed there! Just an honest opinion on an estate that should have been knocked down 20 years ago!
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