Why is Islington council taking a foodbank to court?

Dear Londoners — we hope you're enjoying the start to your week. Today, we're looking into the puzzling case of why one London council is taking the Trussell Trust, the well-known foodbank charity, to court. On top of that, we've collated all the need-to-know stories about the capital in one handy place — as well as recommendations for things to eat, see and do. Here's your London in brief.

Big story: The London council taking a foodbank to court for trespassing 

Top line: Islington Council is taking a Trussell Trust foodbank to court for trespassing on the site the charity has operated from for the last decade.

Background: According to a report in the Islington Tribune, the foodbank has been based out of the Highbury Roundhouse community centre for the last decade. In that time, they’ve distributed some 46,000 parcels to locals, who have mostly been referred to them by the council. 

The controversy: When the foodbank first moved into the site, they had a written agreement with the council to operate there. In 2022, the council tried to formalise the agreement but added a one-month eviction clause, which the Trussell Trust refused to agree to as they would need significantly longer to find a new location. 

The dispute has continued bubbling in the background since then, until the food bank received word last weekend that it was expected in court on 1 July for “trespassing” on council land. The council has suggested it wants to redevelop the land the foodbank operates from, but the presence of a railway line underneath the site means the possibility of a major construction project is limited. 

Council infighting: Among the foodbank’s trustees is a Labour councillor, Theresa Debono, who is therefore facing legal action from a council run by her own party. “I’ve written to the chief executive, I’ve written to Una O’Halloran [council leader]. They didn’t respond. They know me very well — all they had to do was pick up the phone and talk to me, but they don’t want to know,” Debono told reporters. “I just can’t understand if we come out of there, where will these people go? Who will feed them?”

What does the council say: A council spokesperson said they were “committed to supporting groups like Islington Foodbank”, but that a formal agreement was needed “to protect both parties”. They added that “the land may eventually be needed for other purposes over the longer term, but meanwhile we’ve been as flexible as we can.” 

Your news briefing

💚 Saturday was the anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire, which resulted in the deaths of 72 people. It was the likely final anniversary before what remains of the tower is dismantled, although exactly how the tragedy will be memorialised once the tower is dismantled is still being decided. “I knew it was going to come down eventually, but I would have preferred that it stayed up until we at least got some justice,” one survivor, David Benjamin, told the Guardian.

🍴 Storied London institution (and tourist hot-spot) Fortnum & Mason is planning to open stores outside of the capital for the first time, with boss Tom Athron saying it would target “beautiful” sites “up the spine of the country”.

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🏗️ The country’s first ever women-only social housing scheme has recently been completed in Acton. Brook House is 15 storeys, encasing 102 social rented flats, and is being led by Women’s Pioneer Housing, which was founded in the 1920s by suffragists. The scheme was initiated to respond to a burgeoning demand in homes for single women, over 600 of which are on the housing waiting list for Ealing. 

🏊‍♀️ Good news for those looking to escape the heat next month: a new temporary lido will be opened at the Royal Docks near City Hall in Newham. It’ll include a sandpit for the children as well as late night DJ series and a wood-fired sauna. 

🚇 A viral campaign to clean graffiti from the tube, which targeted mayor Sadiq Khan, is a front for a political campaign backed by Dominic Cummings, reports London Centric. 

Got a story for us to look into? Please get in touch.

If you missed it

Last week’s stories:

• Last week we published Miles’ report on the Dying Homeless Project — an annual investigation to track everyone who’s died whilst homeless in the UK — and the difficulties inherent to that accounting process. Over a hundred homeless people die in London each year. For many of them, nothing is left behind, not even a name. 
• Andrew brought in quite the scoop on Thursday. Having diligently studied Sadiq Khan’s register of interests, he found that his wife, Saadiya Ahmad, was holding several positions at the University of East London (UEL), which had subsequently been awarded a £1.6mn grant. 
• “If you don’t live in south-east London or know anyone who graduated from Goldsmiths in the last 10 years, you may not have heard of Set Social.” For our weekend read, freelancer Moya Crockett delved into how the Peckham-based members’ club became the hottest venue in the capital. Read it here. 

Wining and dining

With endless offerings and non-stop openings, we all know that deciding where to eat and drink in the capital can be fraught. We want to make it easy — so every week we’ll give you our insider guide to the city’s best spots. 

One perfect meal: There are a number of excellent pasta spots sprinkled throughout London: Bancone, Trullo, Padella, Bocca di Lupo, Burro e Salvia, Polentina, Artusi, Flour & Grape. But one of the most charming is also one of the most overlooked: Anima e Cuore (“heart and soul”) in Kentish town. Run by Moroccan Calabrian Mustapha Mouflih, its pasta is pretty much perfect: the cacio e pepe silken, the black truffle tagliolini exquisitely earthy. If you don’t have time for a sit-down meal, make sure you at least grab a gelato at the front of house. 

One perfect pint: Nestled just off Queen Square Gardens in Bloomsbury — down the road from Great Ormond Street and a few streets away from the headquarters of Unite union — sits The Queen’s Larder. The deed to this place was drawn up in 1710; easy to believe, given the time-warp effects of its dark wood panelling, velvet upholstery and clustered, haphazard tables. It’s a charming pub, especially during the summer months, when its outdoor tables line the pedestrianised street. 

Our favourite reads

How Long Does It Take to Draw a Picture of Every Pub in London? — Amelia Nierenberg, The New York Times

This profile on Lydia Wood, an artist on a one-woman mission to draw every single pub in the capital, is a fascinating insight into someone whose pub-documenting quest has won her social media stardom — and an elegy for the city’s dying boozers.

A British legend’s deathbed letter sheds new light on the birth of punk— Paul Caruana Galizia, FT Magazine

Investigative journalist Paul Caruana Galizia has published his findings from a 16-page letter written by legendary punk design and manager Malcolm McLaren on his deathbed. It sheds new light on McLaren’s famous — yet often acrimonious — relationship with designer Vivienne Westwood. “Dearest Vivienne” one begins, “I have finally, believe it or not, become unquestionably aware of how much I must have hurt you back when one day, abruptly and decidedly, I left the loving side of our relationship.” 

To Do List

1. Head to the World Press Photo Exhibition in Hackney throughout June, July and August to witness a collection of the most powerful and impactful pieces of photojournalism from across history.
2. Today marks the beginning of the London Clown Festival. For the next two weeks the Soho Theatre will be home to dozens of shows of “clown influenced contemporary performance”. 

From the Archive 

Once the primary mode of travel for Londoners, the city's tram network was wound down in 1952, only to be revived in Croydon in 2000. Incidentally, there’s a free exhibition of art and posters from London’s tramway network running until the 26 June at The London Archives.