Introduction
This prospectus was commissioned by Islington Council‘s Local Economies Team and is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The document has been created by Office S&M Architects with support from Jamila Saha and additional community engagement carried out by Holloway Neighbourhood Group. A microsite, created by Adam Tarasewicz, has been developed to go with this document.
History of Nag's Head
Present
What makes Nag's Head unique?
Today, Nag’s Head Town Centre is a bustling place where you can find all your essentials and seasonal extras. Along with the Angel, Finsbury Park and Archway it is one of four town centres in Islington. With Holloway Road (A1) as the spine and at the crossroads with Seven Sisters Road (A503), it is well connected by public transport bringing many visitors daily.
Unique Retail Offer
Nag’s Head Town Centre is home to Islington’s only department store, Selbys, along with national brands, independent businesses, street stalls and markets offering a varied shopping experience and employment opportunities. With its cost-friendly alternatives, it complements Islington’s other town centres and supports local people with low disposable income.
Strong Food and Market Culture
Fresh food is part of the unique offer in Nag’s Head Town Centre through specialist greengrocers and butchers mixed with vibrant cafes and restaurants serving a variety of food from different cultures. There is a strong market culture along Seven Sister’s Road, including fruit and veg stalls, The Junction Market, The Upper Place and Nag’s Head Covered Market with 47+ small businesses, where over 50% are female-owned. Every weekend, Grafton Primary School hosts the Nag’s Head Open-Air Market attracting many visitors. This offer is paired with a variety of services supporting local people including dentists, solicitors, bike shops and dressmakers.
Home to Diverse Communities
A diverse mix of communities live in and around Nag’s Head Town Centre, in a broad variety of housing ranging from rooms above shops to council flats and large townhouses. A large student population is also present in Nag’s Head Town Centre, both through the London Metropolitan University and the range of student accommodation that houses students, many from overseas, of various universities.
Variety of Cultural Initiatives
The town centre also hosts cultural institutions like the Odeon Cinema, the National Youth Theatre, Storm Rehearsal Studios and Fourth Monkey. The Emirates Stadium contributes to the cultural offer, being the home to Arsenal FC with large-scale concerts during the off-season.
Engagement
We understand the importance of listening to and making local voices heard as local peopleare experts on the local area. As part of Nag’sHead Prospectus of Ideas, we set out to find what local businesses, residents and visitors think of the town centre and what would make it better for all, now and in the future.
Engaging with the community
We understand the importance of listening to and making local voices heard as local people are experts on the local area. As part of Nag’s Head Prospectus of Ideas, we set out to find what local businesses, residents and visitors think of the town centre and what would make it better for all, now and in the future.
Listening to the community
Between June 2024 and February 2025, we spoke to a wide range of community members including youth groups to ensure local youngvoices are heard, businesses to capture the diverse range of retail interests in the town centre and nearby Tenants and Residents Associations (TRA) to involve local residents. To ensure the prospectus aligns with the wider council priorities, the stakeholder engagement also involved the Nag’s Head ward councillors along with various key departments of Islington Council, including Planning, Cultural Enrichment and Transport as well as Local Economies.
Varied Engagement Methods
People were invited to share ideas through a range of engagement methods that included walkabouts, workshops, interviews, direct e-mailing and an online consultation site on Let’s Talk Islington.
Holloway Neighbourhood Group captured local voices through a series of engagement sessions that included:
- Stalls in the Nag's Head Shopping Centre
- Open House and other conversations at the Old Fire Station
- A knitting group at Selby's
- Youth engagement at McDonald's
- Taling to parents at Pakeman Primary School
- Walkabouts around the town centre
A clear vision for Nag's Head
The foundation of this vision and the catalogue of ideas lies in the wealth of initiatives and projects already happening in the Nag’s Head area. The aim with this vision is build onto and celebrate these initiatives while at the same time outline new ideas that together with the the existing opportunities envision the future of Nag’s Head.
Create stepping stones for local businesses to growth and testing new ideas and celebrates Nag’s Head as a small business hub. It also identifies opportunities for young people in the area both through creative and trade paths.
The vision outlines opportunities for improvements from a social, economic and environmental view point.
It aims to enhance the current daytime economy and programming while at the same time identify opportunities for the evening or night time economy to grow. This will help activate the town centre throughout all hours of the day.
Through the catalogue of ideas presented in this chapter we show examples of how future improvements can be made in Nag’s Head that respond to the aspirations and needs of local people and stakeholders.
Funding streams
There is a range of resources and other organisations available to help access funding streams for future projects, both from council funds and charities. The list below identifies some key funding streams and resources that can support the future delivery of the prospectus.
GrantFinder
GrantFinder is a UK-based online funding database that helps organisations find grants, funding opportunities, and support for projects across various sectors, including business, community, and public services.
Islington Funding Toolkit
The Islington Funding Toolkit is an online resource that helps individuals, community groups, and organisations in Islington find funding opportunities for local projects and initiatives.
