Plan for £2.4 million Three Corners Centre approved

Building plans to transform the Three Corners Adventure Playground and Youth Club in EC1 have been given the go-ahead, with work due to start in the next two weeks. 

Young people and adults alike will benefit as the area is given a complete facelift, with a new two-storey community centre including play, youth and adult learning facilities developed. The upper floor will provide services for young people aged 12 to 20 and the building will also house a new adult learning centre; the first of its kind in the south of Islington. This will be used for training and employment services for adults and will also be open for use by voluntary and community groups.

The new facilities are being funded by EC1 New Deal for Communities, Islington Council, and the Learning Skills Council and will replace the current mobile cabins which house the current youth club after the original was burnt down a few years ago. Islington Council and EC1 New Deal for Communities are also in discussions to improve the adventure playground facilities on the site.

Andy Murphy, EC1 New Deal for Communities Chief Executive said: “This is a very significant project for us. Our £2 million investment will benefit many people living in the area. It’ll be a fantastic community asset that will continue to support children, young people and adults long after the EC1 New Deal for Communities programme comes to an end.”

Councillor Ursula Woolley said: “This is one of the most densely populated parts of the borough and a lot of children here don’t have anywhere at home to play outside. Three Corners is already very popular but there should be more for older teenagers there and having adult education on the same site will be great. The Council is investing well over £1m improving playgrounds all over the borough over the next couple of years – all our children need to be able to play outside with friends.

This partnership between Islington Council and EC1 New Deal for Communities - along with funding from the Learning Skills Council - means that adults in this part of the borough will have new and important resources available to them that will contribute to the council’s effort to tackle worklessness in Islington.”

The Three Corners site is being developed with funding from EC1 New Deal for Communities (£1.7m) Islington Council (£193,000),) and the Learning Skills Council (£569,000).

EC1 New Deal for Communities has already invested a further £250,000 in the development of plans for the site.

Funding from Islington Council is broken down as follows:
£100,000 from Children’s Services
£30,000 from Islington Council’s Climate Fund
£63,000 from Environment and Regeneration.

Permission for the building plans was granted at the South Area Committee meeting on 1 September 2008.

The project is due to be finished autumn 2009.