A masterplan for the area around the City Road canal basin was adopted by the council’s Executive Committee in May 2004. This has formed the basis for the development and improvement of key sites around the basin, most notably Angel Waterside, Family Mosaic’s two new blocks of affordable housing at 259 City Road and the delivery of a new public open space adjacent to City Road and National Grid’s 400kV substation/apparatus. The intent of many elements of the masterplan is taken forward by Policy BC2 and related site allocations, but with some important adjustments. These amendments are considered necessary to achieve consistency with the Core Strategy, which was adopted in February 2011 (some 6 years after the production of the masterplan), and to reflect evidence that has informed Islington’s Development Plan.
The scheme comprises a 42-storey tower block and a 36-storey tower block in an area already designated by Islington Council as suitable for locating a cluster of tall buildings. The development will include 995 homes, 30 per cent of which will be affordable. There will also be a 190-room hotel, a crèche, retail and office space. It is expected that the development will lead to the creation of more than 1,000 jobs.