The controversial low traffic neighbourhoods, or people-friendly streets as they are known in Islington, were introduced in June 2020.
By Julia Gregory, Local Democracy Reporter
Ambitious plans to green up 70 per cent of Islington streets won the backing of town hall bosses despite calls to give residents a vote.
Council leader Kaya Comer-Schwartz said: “We need to tackle the climate emergency. We are ensuring that 70 per cent of the borough is covered by people-friendly street schemes and liveable neighbourhoods.”
Measures also include extending school streets to secondary schools, closing roads near schools at the start and end of the school day, more bike routes and improvements to pavements.
The controversial low traffic neighbourhoods, or people-friendly streets as they are known in Islington, were introduced in June 2020.
There are now seven schemes, covering almost a quarter (24 per cent) of the borough.
The first ones were at St Peter’s, Canonbury East, Amwell, Clerkenwell Green, Canonbury West and Highbury and attracting strong feelings amongst both fans and detractors.
The council said traffic dropped by 64 per cent although some boundary roads saw an increase in traffic. Bike use also rose by almost half (49 per cent) on the people-friendly roads and by 10 per cent on the boundary roads.
The council is now extending this with traffic management in “liveable neighbourhoods” with measures to reduce pollution from motor vehicles.
Work will start at Mildmay East, Cally, Barnsbury and Laycock and Highbury New Park.
Six more will be created, including a joint scheme with the City of London at Bunhill South and the Barbican.
The latest step to boost Islington’s environmental credentials will see the school streets network expanded outside ten secondary schools.
Council leader Kaya Comer-Schwartz said this should make things safer for children, improve air quality and encourage people to walk or cycle, instead of driving.
Another part of the greenprint includes “people-friendly pavements.”
This will see more dropped kerbs, tactile paving to help those with sight problems and decluttering street furniture.
More than a dozen Islington residents who are unhappy with the move attended the crunch Cabinet meeting on Friday 13th January , with one calling for a referendum over the move.
“We want to be able to vote for these streets and LTNs or not at all,” he told the council leader, who said it was included last year’s election manifesto.
Another, Rebekah Kelly, said: “People-friendly streets have created haves and have-nots, fit against disabled, rich against poor.”
The council said so far the scheme has helped tackle social injustice as well as climate change, and made streets safer.
Ten primary schools are on main roads which cannot be turned into school streets. Instead the council will add more plants, bike parking and widen pavements in a bid to combat pollution.
These include Robert Blair School, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Montem Primary School and Samuel Rhodes Primary School.
Cllr Kaya Comer-Schwartz said this should make things safer for children, improve air quality and encourage people to walk or cycle, instead of driving.
Cycle routes will also be expanded with a new route connecting the Regent’s Canal and Highgate, and working with Transport for London on creating Cycleway 50, connecting Camden and Tottenham Hale.
Blue Badge holders pointed out they were not exempt from the fines – which start at £65, if paid promptly. The council has now given exemptions to 1,000 residents.
Carer Eirlys Mackenzie told councillors she has had difficulty getting an exemption and other residents have faced similar problems.
She added: “The pavements in Islington are not wheelchair-friendly.”
Islington Clean Air Parents welcomed the extension of school streets.
They said parents “have found them to be very successful in creating safer environments for children when they arrive and leave school, and statistics prove they significantly reduce air pollution outside schools.”
They also backed liveable neighbourhoods and people-friendly streets “but are against the watering down of these schemes by allowing through traffic on some residential roads” and pointed out just 30 per cent of Islington residents are car owners, so most traffic comes from elsewhere.
