Council drops bid to evict food bank from premises in child poverty hotspot: 'Our future is secure'

A food bank serving thousands of families in one of the country’s child poverty hotspots will remain open after a council backed down from a court bid to evict it from vital premises.

Islington Foodbank had faced eviction by Islington Council, which refers 95% of the food bank’s clients. The council took the food bank to court seeking a trespass possession order for a car park its volunteers use to store food – without which, volunteers say, the vital community space would not be able to operate.

Food bank trustees accused the council of underhand tactics and local MP Jeremy Corbyn waded into the row saying “we should be fighting poverty, not food banks”.

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“It secures our future at the Highbury Roundhouse site, where our team of volunteers feeds hundreds of people each month,” a spokesperson for Islington Foodbank told Big Issue.

“Since opening in June 2015, the food bank has helped feed just over 46,000 people. Last year, 5,216 parcels were handed out to users of the food bank.”

Islington Council said the food bank had been granted access to the car park on a rolling basis, and that a formal arrangement was needed.

After the council agreed to stop pursuing the case through the courts, an agreement has been struck for the space, with an initial agreement for the next 18 months, and then a rolling annual license on a six-month notice period.

Islington has the fourth highest rate of child poverty in England, and the council has previously supported the food bank by encouraging donations.

The dispute does not concern the main building used by the food bank, Highbury Roundhouse, which is provided on a rent-free basis.

Councillor Dr Sara Hyde, Islington Council’s executive member for health and social care, said:  “Islington Foodbank has been a vital part of the community for around a decade, and have had a space at Highbury Roundhouse. As a council, we’re determined to do all we can to support their vital work.

“We appreciate their need for additional space for storage and food preparation, and they have been using nearby council land to do so.

“We’re pleased to have received a signed licencing agreement from them, which is essential in ensuring their compliance with legal requirements and keeping everyone safe. We look forward to continuing to work with the foodbank to support the important work they do.”

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