Frequently Asked Questions

Holloway Prison was completely rebuilt between 1971 and 1985 on the same site with the aim was to provide better facilities for the treatment of women in prison. Despite the good intentions for the new design, the building proved to be difficult to manage. The last inspection of the prison concluded that the “the size and poor design make it a very difficult establishment to run”.

Former Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, announced in his Autumn Statement on 25 November 2015 that the prison would close and would be sold for housing. Holloway Prison closed in July 2016, and the prisoners were moved to HMP Downview and HMP Bronzefield, both in Surrey. The sale of the Holloway Prison site by the Ministry of Justice forms part of a wider programme of prison reform – the Prison Estate Transformation Programme. The prison reform programme involves £1.3billion of investment to modernise the prison estate and support rehabilitation.

We are building 985 new homes of which 60% will be affordable.

This is made up of 415 homes for social rent, 178 homes for shared ownership and 392 private homes. This is in addition to commercial spaces, the womens’ building and 1.4 acre public park.  There will also be facilities for all residents of the development to enjoy including a lounge and gym.

Our proposals include circa 1,822 sqm (GIA) Commercial Floorspace. Through construction, 51 apprenticeships will be offered, with a target of 30% for women.

This blocks are from 2 to 14 floors in height.

Planning permission was granted by Islington Council in April 2022 for the overall Holloway Park masterplan, to provide:

• 985 homes, 60% affordable housing with 60 extra care homes for social rent.
• A unique and dedicated Women’s Building linking to the site’s history and previous use
• A new 1.4-acre public park with play spaces and a nature garden for all to visit and enjoy A new pedestrian route to Trecastle Way leading towards Tufnell Park which will improve connectivity through the area
• Approximately 1,800sqm of commercial space helping to bring new businesses and job opportunities to the area
• An on-site classroom/skills hub for local training and further education opportunities during the construction phase
• 51 construction apprenticeships, targeting 30% of these being completed by women

Although we have planning permission (granted in 2022) and construction of Phase 1 is underway, new challenges mean we’ve had to revisit the plans for Phases 2 and 3:

• New building regulations now require second staircases in buildings over 18 metres. We consider the best approach is to incorporate these into the design of the buildings, which impacts building layouts and reduces floor space. In Phase 1, this led to the loss of some larger and wheelchair-accessible homes, which we plan to re-provide in later phases
• Rising construction costs and necessary updated building safety standards have made the project more financially challenging for us to deliver as a not-for-profit housing association

To respond to these challenges, we need to build more homes and have been consulting with the community on our revised plans since December 2024.

The overall vision for Holloway Park remains the same, and Phase 1 is already being delivered as planned. This includes:

• The Women’s Building, which will provide support and rehabilitation services to women with experience of the criminal justice system and provide a space for women to access a variety of services
• The 1.4-acre public park, which will be open and accessible for all, providing an area for people to meet up and come together
• 429 new homes, comprising 215 social rent (including 60 extra care), 18 shared ownership, and 196 private sale
• The new pedestrian route to Trecastle Way leading towards Tufnell Park

So, while we are revisiting later phases to respond to new regulations and rising costs, Phase 1 remains unchanged and on track, targeting completion in 2027. The proposed changes relate to Phases 2 and 3 only.

We are pleased to be working towards the delivery of public space accessible to Islington residents which includes:

• 1.4 acre public park – most of which will be ready when the first phase completes.
• Nature garden
• 5,645 sqm of play space (all at ground and podium level)

The homes at Holloway Park will be allocated through Islington Council. It is anticipated that this will be done through their choice-based lettings system, Home Connections. Through this system if you have applied for council housing and have 120 points or more you can bid for council and housing association properties.

When we have social homes close to completion here, we will give Islington Council the details to advertise the properties.

More information about how to bid for properties is available through Islington:

Bid for housing | Islington Council

There is information at Shared Ownership London – Share to Buy about the properties for sale within London.

There are general eligibility criteria;

• You must be at least 18 years old.
• Outside of London your annual household income must be less than £80,000.
• In London, your annual household income must be less than £90,000.
• Shared Ownership purchasers are often first-time buyers but if you do already own another home, you must be in the process of selling it.
• You should not be able to afford to buy a home suitable for your housing
  needs on the open market.
• You must show you are not in mortgage or rent arrears.
• You must be able to demonstrate that you have a good credit history (no
  bad debts or County Court Judgements) and can afford the regular
  payments and costs involved in buying a home.

Peabody also has a guide to shared ownership which gives plenty of useful
information about how this works.
https://www.peabodynewhomes.co.uk/ways-to-buy/shared-ownership

Certainly we would like to encourage the local community to get involved. While we are not looking to change the approved plans by Islington Council, we will be  looking forward to actively engage in consultations with local residents regarding the heritage plans for the park, which also encompasses the artwork involved in the project.

As the project progresses, there will be additional opportunities for community involvement. We invite interested individuals to reach out to us for further information on how they can contribute and stay engaged with the ongoing developments. Your input and participation are valued as we work towards creating a space that benefits the entire community.

We have a local distribution area of 1200 addresses around Holloway Park who currently receive the newsletter delivered each month.

We also email copies out to anyone who joins our mailing list.

To join our mailing list please register for updates on the website below.

The scheme is car-free except for 30 blue badge parking spaces. All parking space will have electric charging facilities. No residents, employees or visitors will be permitted to park anywhere within the site unless they hold a blue badge. Residents will also be prohibited from obtaining parking permits for surrounding streets. Cycle parking facilities are provided across the site. The plan below shows the planned access connections.

There will be 120 wheelchair homes, representing 12% of total homes.

• 89 are social rent an will be delivered as wheelchair accessible units
• 11 are Shared Ownership and will be delivered as wheelchair adaptable
• 20 are market and will be delivered as wheelchair adaptable

The scheme is designed to be a car free space with pedestrians and cyclists the main priority. Please see the plan which is encouraging safe routes through the site and only allowing emergency and delivery vehicles access. The road is two-way as this provides a better environment and permeability for cyclists and encourages cyclists to take the primary position in the road. A new pedestrian and cyclist connection route will also be provided onto Trecastle Way.

Holloway Prison has a long and significant history, particularly in relation to women’s rights. We’re committed to ensuring this legacy is meaningfully reflected in Holloway Park through both design and community involvement. This includes:

• A dedicated Women’s Building, providing support services for women
• A Heritage Plan, including four public art commissions, to embed the site’s history visually and verbally into the new neighbourhood.
• In partnership with Create London, women with lived experience of the criminal justice system are paid to help curate the public art, ensuring it reflects authentic voices and experiences.
• Working with Social Place, we are applying gender-aware design principles to help create a safer, more inclusive environment.
• Preserving historic artefacts from the prison, such as banisters and beds, for use in future artworks and exhibitions.