Councillor and traffic
Sir: — A working party of Labour Councillors, by a narrow majority and not fully supported by their officers, recently decided to take the retrogressive step of rescinding the local traffic management scheme. This includes re-opening Thornhill Road and part of Lofting Road to a two-way flow. They propose sending a stream of traffic (about 800 cars per hour before the management scheme was introduced) through the heart of a residential area, right past Thornhill Infant School, and on through a narrow curved bottle-neck to Barnsbury Road and the newly made Barnsbury Park. The Thornhill Road/Lofting Road intersection hard by the school would become a major traffic hazard.
In the recent Barnsbury Environmental Study, a joint Ministry of Housing and Local Government, GLC and London Borough of Islington effort, it was suggested this part of Thornhill Road became a pedestrian precinct — we seem to have travelled a long way from that idea! The Islington Council obviously propose to ignore this recommendation. Instead they plan to squander a vast amount of ratepayers' money destroying the present system which has made Barnsbury into a pleasant residential area where people and children can live quietly and move about freely without danger of being flattened by a car.
I understand the recommendation from the Islington Council has to be sanctioned by the GLC. Can you please help to ensure the present progressive thinking traffic management scheme is retained? It is after all people and not cars that matter. Then commuters will continue to use the Victoria Line and will not be tempted back into their cars to come racing past our houses and jeopardising the lives of the children. My house is on the corner of Thornhill Road/Brooksby Street and I would in fact gain from the latest proposal as Brooksby Street would become a cul-de-sac. However, the environmental benefits overall from the present scheme greatly outweigh any other personal considerations. Please help us to get this retrograde decision put right.
Anstice Shaw 62 Thornhill Road, Barnsbury, London NI
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