Islington’s housing leader has said the council can’t build housing on the former Sir George Robey and Powerhaus site in Finsbury Park because it’s too noisy.

At last night’s full council meeting, Cllr Gary Heather (Lab, Finsbury Park) pleaded with housing boss Cllr Diarmaid Ward (Lab, Holloway) to push for affordable housing on the Seven Sisters Road site. It’s currently subject of plans for a 182-room hotel.

Cllr Ward explained: “It’s currently in private ownership, is on a very busy road and backs onto a railway. The site is exposed to high levels of noise and vibration. We have worked incredibly hard to see if we can develop affordable housing, but not every site is suitable.”

Cllr Heather countered: “The City North development is just as near to the railway. The point is, sites are not easily found in Islington. Do we need another hotel when there’s another [Travelodge in Isledon Road] 50 yards away?

“I don’t feel, as a local ward councillor, it would be acceptable to see this go through without being questioned. Will you go back and look at this again to check it definitely can’t get done?”

And Cllr Ward did concede: “I am very happy to go back and look at this just one more time.”