Vigil at Holloway prison in Islington as bulldozers roll in

The event on Saturday (November 26) was the seventh anniversary of the announcement of the prison’s closure.

Contributors at the event told personal stories, recited poetry and played music.

More than 900 new homes are set to be built on the site of the old prison, along with office blocks and two parks. Demolition on the old site has just begun.

Over 900 new homes are planned for the site of the old Holloway prison (Image: AHMM/Peabody)

The developer has set aside space for women’s services in one of the new buildings, but local activists say there needs to be more provision within the borough.

Rohit Gupta, an Islington community organiser, said: “A new campaign, Beauty Out of Ashes, launched at the vigil, calling for an additional building off the prison site that can provide a bigger space for women’s services.”

At the vigil, Sophie Benedict, from Canonbury, said: “I also want provision on the site to be right and thought about. It's about preventative measures...to ensure that the women, girls and families on this site have enough provision so that they don't get caught in the criminal justice system.”

Sophie Benedict said that she wanted better provision on the site for women's services (Image: Melissa Herman)

Developers estimate that the new site could take between five and seven years to complete.

A spokesperson for Peabody, the developer for the new site, said: “We are very much looking forward to delivering a new women’s building at the heart of the proposed Holloway Park redevelopment, which will provide a fitting legacy for the site.

"We’re committed to working closely with the council, independent experts, women with lived experience and local groups to understand how the building will be managed and what services might be delivered here to ensure its long-term success.”