Islington Council has announced a £5 million investment to improve community safety, enhance play spaces and parks, and support a cleaner, more equal borough. The funding, delivered through the Making it Happen initiative, focuses on actions that residents have said matter most to them.
The investment was first outlined in the council’s 2026/27 budget proposals and includes targeted work to reduce anti‑social behaviour, upgrade public spaces, and strengthen support for families and communities across the borough.
A major focus of the fund is a £1.9 million commitment to enhancing community safety. Planned improvements include new mobile CCTV vans, a specialist outreach and response van for neighbourhood issues, and better lighting and upgraded gated entries. Alongside this, the council will work directly with residents to identify further safety improvements.
These measures are designed to complement ongoing work to address anti‑social behaviour across Islington.
The council will invest £840,000 to upgrade play areas and parks, with around £420,000 allocated to improving play spaces on estates, and the remaining investment delivering improvements at key parks and open spaces.
Upgrades will include new slides, climbing frames, and other play equipment to make public spaces more welcoming for families.
The fund will also support broader community priorities, including:
- Expanding support offered by the council’s Income Maximisation Team, which has already helped residents secure more than £16 million in unclaimed benefits since April 2024. The council aims to help residents access a further £5 million each year.
- Additional support for culture, arts, sports, and community activities.
- A £140,000 investment in resident‑led projects, continuing the council’s participatory budgeting model.
Action to improve the local environment includes community gardening schemes, spring‑cleaning events and neighbourhood clean‑ups, as well as enhanced cleaning in town centres, shopping areas, and transport hubs such as Finsbury Park.
Islington Council Leader Cllr Una O’Halloran said:
“As a council, we’re focused on turning residents’ priorities into action, to create real, tangible change.
“That’s why we’re set to invest £5 million in these practical improvements, which will make a difference for people across the borough – through safer streets, better shared spaces, and by working together to boost community pride.
“It’s all part of our efforts to make it happen for local people, by building the more equal Islington that we all want to see.”
These initiatives form part of the council’s long‑term efforts to create a cleaner, more pleasant environment for everyone.
The £5 million investment is one element of the council’s wider programme to support residents and reduce inequalities. This includes:
- £28 million to reduce – and in some cases remove – council tax bills for around one in five households
- Investment in shared spaces such as Whittington Park
- Ongoing work to provide more genuinely affordable homes
- Support enabling more than 6,000 people to enter employment over the past four years
The council says these measures collectively contribute to creating a more equal future for Islington communities.
Image credit: iStock
