Isledon Village, Islington

A 1990s mixed-​​tenure project with 211 dwellings, situated in south-​​west Finsbury Park

Isledon Village

‘Isledon’ is an old form of ‘Islington’, although the estate is simply named after the road on which it is located. The seven-​​acre site formerly consisted of industrial buildings beside the railway.

Shops and stalls on nearby Fonthill Road specialise in affordable designer clothes and there were proposals to build a national fashion centre here. However, these were abandoned after Finsbury Park residents pressed for the site to be put a more locally oriented use.

Several housing associ­ations collab­orated to build flats and maisonettes in 1994 and a second, smaller phase of modular town houses was completed in 1999.

Community facilities include a doctor’s surgery, a self-​​built nursery, workspaces and open space with a children’s play area. A nursing home cares for elderly people and those with disab­ilities or mental health problems.

The village drew praise for its integrated approach to urban design but critics disliked the heavy predom­inance of social housing and ‘dead end’ layout.

Postal district: N7