News on People Friendly Streets Islington

Islington Council is continuing to take bold action to make streets safer, greener, and healthier for all by creating its fifth people-friendly streets neighbourhood, in Amwell. 

The council is working quickly and effectively to improve its transport network, to create the more-pleasant streets that residents have long called for and to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.     

People-friendly streets make it easier for local people to walk and cycle safely, use buggies and wheelchairs, and cross roads. In achieving this, they will also help to prevent a sharp rise in motor vehicle use as we adapt to social distancing and fewer people use public transport.

The council has already announced people-friendly streets neighbourhoods in St Peter’s, Canonbury East and West, and Clerkenwell Green, with more neighbourhoods set to be introduced before the end of the year.   

Work on the Amwell neighbourhood will start on Monday, 5 October and will involve the implementation of four traffic filters.   

Cllr Rowena Champion, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said: “We’re creating people-friendly streets to make Islington a better borough for all, where residents can walk, cycle, cross roads and use buggies and wheelchairs safely and easily.   

“Local people have long been calling for measures to reduce the dominance of motor vehicles, and create safer, greener, more welcoming neighbourhoods. This, coupled with the need to enable safe social distancing, is why we have been working at pace to deliver people-friendly streets all over Islington.   

“Amwell will be our fifth people-friendly streets neighbourhood, and residents living there can look forward to calmer, friendlier and greener streets once the work is complete.”  

The four traffic filters in Amwell will have the effect of removing traffic that currently cuts through the area, ensuring better streets for local people. At certain locations, camera-enforced filters will allow buses and emergency services vehicles through.    

Amwell will remain accessible by motor vehicle, and local people with motor vehicles will still be able to drive and park near to their homes, as will visitors and deliveries from outside the area. Routes in and out of the area to main roads may change.    

The areas to the east and west of Amwell Street, around Myddleton and Wilmington Squares, already benefit from historic traffic reduction measures. The planned people-friendly streets neighbourhood is in the area to the west of Amwell Street, north of Wilmington Square, and is expected to bring similar benefits, such as reduced traffic, less noise, and a better environment for walking and cycling.  

These changes will be implemented under an 18-month Experimental Traffic Order. After 12 months, a public consultation will take place to give residents the chance to indicate whether they would like the changes to be made permanent.  

Further information on the plans can be found on the council's people-friendly streets page . 

The council consults with emergency services before each people-friendly streets scheme is installed to ensure they can continue to access every street as before. In addition, the council works with the emergency services to monitor the impact of the changes being made to roads.  

In making changes to Islington’s roads, the council is listening carefully to the views of local residents. In May, the council launched a  Commonplace webpage  as a forum for local people to give their ideas and suggestions on improving their streets. To date, this has received more than 5,000 comments.  

People-friendly streets are part of the council’s vision for a safer, greener, healthier borough, and will help achieve our ambitious plans for a net zero carbon Islington by 2030.  

Changes in Amwell will involve the implementation of four traffic filters, on Great Percy Street, the northern and southern sides of Lloyd Square, and on Margery Street. The filter on Great Percy Street will allow the 812 Plus Bus service through. As part of the neighbourhood, five parking spaces will be suspended on Great Percy Street, and nine spaces will be suspended on Lloyd Square.   

The Commonplace website will remain open and you can continue to comment or add your observations about the measures at  https://islingtonpeoplefriendlystreets.commonplace.is/  or you can email us at  peoplefriendlystreets@islington.gov.uk .