Key Points
- Islington, a North London borough, features 41 conservation areas covering about 50% of its area, imposing stringent planning rules that hinder extensions and larger building projects.
- The borough has at least 4,500 listed buildings, contributing to a Nimby paradise with beautiful buildings, parks, shops, and restaurants, but minimal new construction amid high demand.
- Housing costs are exorbitant: average rent for a one-bedroom flat stands at £2,053 per month, £2,839 for a three-bedroom family home, and first-time buyers pay an average of £607,000.
- A starter home in Islington costs more than 20 times the annual salary of a worker on London’s living wage, pricing out locals and key workers.
- Islington has historically been dominated by Labour in a one-party state, with politics rooted in Nimbyism, where opposing developments was politically safer.
- Recent shifts show Islington Labour embracing Yimbyism (Yes In My Back Yard), accusing the Green Party of opposing new homes.
- Labour produced a dossier claiming Greens opposed at least 676 socially rented homes—the top tier of affordable housing—plus many more for private sale or rent.
- A leaflet circulated in Tufnell Park (which Greens say was unofficial and does not represent their views) stated: ‘The more privately owned units come onto the property market, the greater the negative impact will be on the value of our flats’.
- Greens are criticised for supporting principles like affordable housing, environmentally friendly transport, and clean energy in theory, but opposing projects like HS2, local wind farms, and building initiatives in practice.
- The author of the Nimby Watch column lives in Islington and highlights it as London’s greatest borough, yet one where almost nothing gets built.
- Islington’s appeal is boosted by its Zones 1 and 2 location with excellent transport links, driving demand.
- Labour accuses Greens of hypocrisy, with the dossier and leaflet as key evidence.
Islington (North London News) February 17, 2026 – Islington Labour Council has accused the Green Party of hypocrisy in blocking new housing developments across the borough, amid soaring property prices that price out locals and key workers, as highlighted in this week’s Nimby Watch column on CapX.
The column, penned by an Islington resident, spotlights the borough’s chronic underbuilding despite huge demand, fuelling average rents of £2,053 for a one-bedroom flat and £2,839 for a three-bedroom home. First-time buyers face an average spend of £607,000, over 20 times the London living wage earner’s annual salary. Conservation areas blanket 50% of Islington, with 4,500 listed buildings stifling construction.
Why Is Islington a Nimby Paradise?
Islington boasts beautiful buildings, lovely parks, great shops, and restaurants, making it highly desirable—exacerbated by its prime Zones 1 and 2 location with superb transport. Yet, as the CapX Nimby Watch column notes, “almost nothing much ever gets done” due to 41 conservation areas enforcing draconian planning rules. Even modest home extensions become “nightmarish,” while bigger projects are “all but impossible”.
The piece, structured as a dialogue between the author and an implied interlocutor, admits:
“That sounds like something of a Nimby paradise, then”.
Sarcasm aside, it underscores the trade-offs: aesthetic preservation at the cost of affordability. Locals and key workers “constantly complain about being priced out,” with mortgages capped at five times salary offering little relief.
As reported in the CapX column, the author lives in Islington—”London’s greatest borough”—and confesses it is far from a Yimby model: “I absolutely have not” turned it into one. This personal stake adds candour to the critique of local inertia.
What Changed in Islington Politics?
Historically, Islington operated as a “one-party state dominated by Labour,” where Nimbyism ruled and
“opposing a development was usually a safer bet than supporting it”.
But shifts are afoot. Labour has “discovered Yimbyism,” pivoting to pro-building stances.
Enter the Greens, mounting a “spirited challenge on its left” with the youngest voting base—millennials and Gen Z. One might expect them to champion more homes, yet Labour flips the script:
“Islington Labour… are accusing the Greens of opposing new homes across the area”.
The CapX author quips:
“You’d think that was how it worked, wouldn’t? But no”.
This sets up the core allegation: Greens talk affordability but block supply.
Do Greens Oppose 676 Affordable Homes?
Labour’s evidence is a dossier claiming Greens opposed
“at least 676 socially rented homes—the top tier of affordable housing, alongside many more homes that would be privately sold or rented”.
The document, hosted on Islington Labour’s site, is cited as proof of obstructionism.
A circulated leaflet in Tufnell Park amplifies the charge. It reads: ‘The more privately owned units come onto the property market, the greater the negative impact will be on the value of our flats’. Labour brandishes this as “devastating,” though Greens counter:
“the leaflet was not an official party publication and does not represent their views”.
The CapX piece agrees with the logic:
“If we want housing to be affordable, that means homes need to be cheaper”.
It posits Greens seek workarounds like council or key worker homes only, potentially creating “golden ticket” scarcity while others flee to Zone 4.
Is the Green Party Hypocritical on Development?
Labour’s leaflet reference ties into broader patterns. As per CapX:
“The Green Party has a habit of supporting things in principle and opposing them in practice”.
Examples include backing eco-transport yet fighting HS2, clean energy but nixing local wind farms, and affordable housing while battling “almost every building project it sees”.
The column challenges the “construction work doesn’t feel very green” retort: “It can always be improved!”. Labour’s Yimby turn contrasts sharply, positioning Greens as the new Nimby vanguard.
No direct Green rebuttals appear in the CapX text, but their leaflet disavowal hints at internal frictions. Islington Labour’s site (linked in the dossier and leaflet stories) provides the primary sourcing, underscoring the partisan fray.
How Bad Is the Housing Crisis in Islington?
Prices paint a grim picture. A £607,000 first-time buyer average dwarfs affordability benchmarks. Rents—£2,053 for one-bed, £2,839 for three-bed—lock out families. The author laments:
Demand surges from Islington’s allure, but supply stalls. Conservation zones and listings create a “Nimby paradise” with upsides (beauty, amenities) but dire downsides (exclusion). Key workers embody the squeeze, as a starter home exceeds 20 times living wage salary.
Can Labour Overcome Green Resistance?
Labour’s dossier and leaflet offensive aim to expose “their own hypocrisy,” per Islington Labour’s framing. By going Yimby, they seek to reclaim progressive credentials against a left-flank threat.
Yet challenges persist. Greens’ youth appeal could sway voters wary of construction’s environmental toll. The CapX author, pushing Nimby Watch’s travel budget to his backyard, warns:
“You can only go so long writing about Nimbyism without writing about your own back yard”.
What Does This Mean for North London?
Islington exemplifies North London’s planning woes, where desirability clashes with dynamism. If Greens prevail, say critics, supply stays choked, rents climb, and displacement worsens. Labour’s fight signals potential thaw, but borough-specific hurdles—like those 41 conservation areas—loom large.
The Nimby Watch edition urges action: build more, greenly, to match demand. As Islington residents grapple with costs, the Labour-Green tussle will shape whether this “underrated borough” evolves or stagnates.
