Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), part of the so-called People Friendly Streets initiative, have been introduced in many Islington wards and Barnsbury could be next! This is a deeply divisive issue and the Cloudesley Association has to date addressed the subject only insofar as it has a direct impact on the Cloudesley Estate (for our policy, see the minutes of the latest Newsletter, here and the last two Association meetings, here).
However, in a departure from our usual approach on this website I am posting a personal view which I've felt compelled to write entitled:
"The Case Against LTNs in Islington". (click to download)
It's rather long and a bit of a rant, but if you care about our neighbourhood I urge you to take a look. I've tried to be as honest, fair and objective as possible. It seems to me that the Council, supported by a very well organised and active cycling/environmental lobby, have staged an extensive and somewhat one-sided campaign exclusively in favour of LTNs and I felt the need to express the other side of the argument. I'd be interested in any feedback, both for and against, so please feel free to use the Comments button below, or if you prefer, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Just in case you're still unclear about my position on the subject (!), here's the conclusion from the piece:
Conclusion: the Islington LTN programme is a misguided initiative, poorly implemented, to address a problem which is at best exaggerated and at worst dangerously misconstrued. The costs of the programme, especially in terms of unintended consequences, hugely outweigh the benefits. Many of Islington’s constituencies, including some of the most vulnerable, will be severely disadvantaged and the unique character of Islington itself will be compromised. The programme should now be halted, re-evaluated and if necessary reversed. It should not be extended to other wards, if at all, until such re-evaluation is complete.
Update, November 2022.
I've now composed a companion piece to "The Case Against Islington LTNs", this time focused specifically on Barnsbury:
"The Case Against a Barnsbury LTN". (click to download)
Once again:
- this is a personal view
- I'd be interested in any feedback
- and here's my hard-hitting conclusion:
Conclusion: Islington Council is planning to introduce a Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) programme in Barnsbury, under the misleading branding of “Liveable Barnsbury”. Although its detailed plans remain obscure, the Council should be resisted. As Islington’s largest Conservation Area, Barnsbury is already an eminently “liveable” district. Thanks in part to a prototype LTN implemented over 30 years ago, traffic volumes are low and the current traffic system works well for most residents, despite the claims of a small but dogmatic cycling lobby. Based on the results of LTNs already implemented in other parts of Islington, a new LTN in Barnsbury would almost certainly have an adverse effect on many, if not most, people who live or work in Barnsbury, including some of the most vulnerable. The default position should be that the Council does nothing.
It turns out that my labours have been quite timely, because the following notice has appeared recently at the top of Cloudesley Road:
As you can see, as a Barnsbury resident you are invited to "Have Your Say on a Liveable Neighbourhood for Barnsbury". Whether you believe the Council can improve our lives by extending its LTN programme to Barnsbury or whether, like me, you think our neighbourhood is perfectly "liveable" already and just want the Council to leave us alone on this matter, I urge you to come along to the Library on Bridgeman Road, Tuesday 15th November 5.45pm and make sure your views are known.
Update, December 2022.
Well, the meeting turned out to be a bit of a fiasco! See our latest newsletter.
But I won't be posting my personal views on LTNs here any more because I've built a new website called Keep Islington Moving! Check it out if you're interested in the subject and do please comment via its Contact section. Here on the Cloudesley Association website we will of course continue to update you on LTN developments especially if these have a direct impact on members, but we'll strive to do so in a strictly impartial manner (trigger warning: Keep Islington Moving is unapologetically of the view that LTNs are bad for Islington as a whole!).
Barnsbury Housing Association (BHA) provides quality affordable rented accommodation at many sites within Barnsbury such as the award-winning Morland Mews off Lofting Road. It recently celebrated its 50th anniversary and on its website (see here) you can find a splendid video celebrating the years since it was founded in 1967 as well as an informative timeline.
Apart from this, BHA is of interest to our community for two other reasons, documented in more detail elsewhere on our own website.
Firstly, BHA is now housed at Cloudesley House, 16A Cloudesley Street - the same "neat edifice in a pointed style" which was opened in 1830 as Trinity School and later became the Elizabeth Whitelaw Reid Club, commemorated in Holy Trinity Church (see here for details).
Secondly, BHA was co-founded by Kenneth Pring, an architect hailed as "the man who saved Islington" who played a key part in the "gentrification" process which eventually resulted in the area we know and love today (read the full gentrification story here).
As two organisations with a common interest in the local community, we hope BHA and the Cloudesley Association will work side by side in the years to come.
Some residents in the area have been experiencing issues with tube noise and vibration levels. From the map below, this would seem to be due to the Victoria line, with Cloudesley Estate residents most likely to be affected in the South-East corner of Cloudesley Square, the middle of Cloudesley Street, the South of Cloudesley Road and Liverpool Road near Theberton Street.
If you are affected, here is what you can do:
1. Make an official complaint to TfL. The best way to do this is to download and fill in the questionnaire here and email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You may also wish to visit the TfL website www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/our-trackside-neighbours and / or call them on 0343 222 1234 (TfL call charges).
2. Call TfL on 0343 222 1234 and request a visit by an engineer to take measurements in your home.
3. Join our group. A group of people affected has been set-up by a local resident Neil Smith to keep people informed. If you would like to join this group, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and you will be put in touch.
Update, November 2019. It seems this is still an issue - there was an article in the latest Islington Tribune on the subject with this rather nice picture below of Cloudesley Square residents Roger Baldwin and Mark Geday. Neil Smith also features. Check it out here: http://islingtontribune.com/article/we-need-a-long-term-solution-to-terrible-tube-noise . Meanwhile, our latest newsletter has an update on what TfL has to say about grinding work they are carrying out, although as Neil points out in the Tribune article, their response has not been entirely satisfactory.
The more detailed map below suggests that the parts of the Cloudesley Estate most likely to be affected are the South East corner of Cloudesley Square, the middle of Cloudesley Street and the South end of Cloudesley Road, which seems to match residents' experiences. Watch this space!
Stop Press! And now we've made it into the Evening Standard! Check out the story here: https://www.pressreader.com/uk/evening-standard-west-end-final-extra/20191129/282144998203911 . This time there is a particularly attractive picture of Clarissa Baldwin plus handsome dog, with Holy Trinity in the background - see below. Cloudesley Square is described as "one of London's grandest squares" - fame at last! On a more practical note, this must surely force TfL to take the complaints about tube noise more seriously, so congratulations to Neil and all the other residents who've brought this to their attention.
More Cloudesley Images. There's a wonderful website called Collage at collage.cityoflondon.gov.uk. To quote: "Collage is one of London’s finest picture archives. Managed by London Metropolitan Archives (LMA), it provides free online access to over 250,000 images of London from the collections at LMA and Guildhall Art Gallery." Here are some results of typing "cloudesley" into the search bar.
The Neighbourhood Watch scheme is a partnership intended to bring people together to make their communities safer. Their Members Guide contains useful tips for keeping your house and family safe, and contact details for anyone interested.
We've recently (January 2000) been contacted by the Islington Neighbourhood Watch Scheme who have provided us with the following useful documents:
The Association is now registered with the Scheme and as such we will be receiving a newsletter with crime statistics and information about events etc. If you have any queries about Islington Neighbourhood Watch, please contact them on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
