Changes to create safer, greener, healthier streets around Holloway Road

The council is currently in the process of implementing people-friendly streets trials to create a fairer borough, where it is easier to walk and cycle, cross roads, and use buggies and wheelchairs. People-friendly streets are also a key element of the council's ambition to achieve net zero carbon status by 2030. 

Recently, some residents have reported an increase in traffic and dangerous road incidents on a group of streets comprising Furlong Road, Digswell Street, Crane Grove and Orleston Road.   

This has been caused by vehicles using these narrow residential roads as short-cuts, with vehicles backing up as they queue to turn right onto Holloway Road. This in turn has caused road danger issues on these particular streets, such as vehicles driving on the wrong side of the road around corners, motorists driving on the pavement to pass others, and near-misses between road users.   

The council is listening to local people’s views on their streets and, where necessary, will make changes based on the feedback received.  

With this in mind, the council is introducing camera-enforced banned right-turns for motor vehicles from Furlong Road and Digswell Street onto Holloway Road on an 18-month trial basis. Emergency services vehicles and those cycling will be exempt from both right-turn bans.   

These changes will help address the road danger issues on these streets and make the area more pleasant for everybody, whilst making it easier to walk and cycle.   

Cllr Rowena Champion, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Environment and Transport, said: “We are working tirelessly to implement people-friendly streets to create the fairer Islington that local people have long been calling for, where it is easier to walk and cycle, where air quality is improved in line with our net zero carbon ambition, and where streets are safer.    

“Local people know their streets better than anyone, and we have been listening carefully to their feedback on the measures.    

“We are grateful to those that have contacted us regarding the increased traffic and road safety issues on several streets near Holloway Road, and believe the changes we are making will help to address this and create safer, greener, healthier streets for everyone.”   

Work on implementing these changes will start on Monday, 9 August, and is expected to take approximately one week to complete. Residents on the affected streets will receive a leaflet advising them of the changes, which will be clearly signposted.   

The impact of the changes will be monitored closely, and the council will continue to listen to resident feedback. Feedback on people-friendly streets schemes can be submitted by filling in the council’s surveys, by heading to the council’s people-friendly streets webpage and selecting the link to the relevant scheme. You can also read more on the scheme here.

The council is also developing plans to create more people-friendly streets measures to reduce through-traffic in the area to the west of Holloway Road and Upper Street. The council will be engaging with the public to find out their views on how their streets could be made safer, greener, healthier and more pleasant. The changes that are being made on Furlong Road and Digswell Street are designed to address an immediate safety issue, and do not affect these plans.