The People Friendly Streets neighbourhood in Highbury, on Gillespie Road.
- Credit: Polly Hancock
A High Court ruling against road schemes in London will not affect Islington s People Friendly Streets, the council has claimed.
On January 20, Mrs Justice Beverley Lang ruled that Mayor Sadiq Khan and Transport for London (TfL) had acted unlawfully over a particular aspect of their Streetspace programme.
In the judicial review brought by United Trade Action Group and the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, the judge found the scheme failed to distinguish taxis from general traffic and its treatment of them irrational around an order to restrict traffic along the A10.
David Harrison, Walking campaigner
David Harrison s wife appreciating Islington s architecture while out walking
- Credit: David Harrison
Many of us are wishing we could escape to the coast for a cliff walk. How lovely it would be to be strolling in the countryside. But Londoners are finding that walking in the city has much to offer.
Thanks to the People Friendly Streets schemes, in a large area of the borough we can avoid the vehicles (there are so many more than in the first Lockdown) and wander safely through quiet roads listening to birds, sniffing flowers in comparatively clean air, gazing up at trees. An added bonus of the city is that there are beautiful examples of architecture and places of historic interest to explore.
That s according to disappointed councillors at an area board meeting on Thursday night (January 21). On Boxing day last year Salisbury was awarded £9,355,731 from the Government’s £1billion pot of money - called the Future High Streets Fund - to revive town centres across the country. Around £14.3million had originally been requested for the city, in its bid to connect Salisbury Railway Station to the rest of the centre in a more attractive way. This is in addition to Fisherton Street becoming an inviting and walkable space and creating more apartments. But because the city received less money than it asked for, decision makers are having to think about what they can achieve with the Government grant.
Another resident, Richard Brooks, said: In principle, I understand the need to have certain streets with as few cars as possible. For example, it was a good idea to bring in bans on cars in the streets near primary schools first thing in the morning, and then as schools close in mid-afternoon. A good idea even though I was fined in the early days when driving - I think in Romilly or Prah Road. I also think that some of the rat runs needed some restrictions. However, [the] new restrictions have done far more harm than good.
Another group, Low Traffic Highbury, has been set up in support of the schemes.
SALISBURY looks likely to miss out on more than a million pounds of funding, which had been set aside to improve car parks, cycling options and more in the city. A low traffic zone and experimental traffic order limiting vehicle movements in the city centre was suspended, after businesses and council leaders withdrew support for the People Friendly Streets plan last year. But the city s MP, John Glen, has called for a grant of £1.3 million from the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SWLEP) to be spent as planned. The money had been set aside for complementary measures linked to - but separate from - the rest of the People Friendly scheme.