Cloudesley Association – May 2022 Update
1. Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs)
As agreed at our last meeting we have written to our local councillor, Rowena Champion, setting out the concerns raised at the meeting about LTNs, particularly regarding Liverpool Road. Rowena’s response (including our email) is attached. Several points are worth noting:
- Although the Council seems resolute in its overall LTN policy, they are happy to work with local residents on monitoring and if necessary making changes. Members who want such changes, particularly with respect to Liverpool Road beyond those referred to in Rowena’s email, should therefore engage with the Council directly, as agreed at our last meeting.
- The Council has committed to reinstating the benches in Cloudesley Road, as requested by Warwick Gould at our last meeting. Warwick will engage directly with the Council specifically on this issue. Any members with strong views on the matter should contact Warwick at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
- As a separate issue, the Council is launching a “Greening Islington” initiative and will be inviting local groups to work with it in this regard. The streets of the Cloudesley Estate are already blessed with a large number of attractive trees but if any members have ideas for further improvements please let us know.
- The Council is committed to consulting with residents, including the Cloudesley Association, on any further LTN-related changes in Barnsbury which may have an effect on the Cloudesley Estate. The Association and its members therefore need to remain fully engaged in this respect.
2. The Church
As reported on our website, the London Diocese have asked us to circulate the following online survey on how the Church might be used by the community when it is opened up as the Cloudesley Centre:
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/CloudesleyCentre2022
This is an important subject for most of us in the Cloudesley Association so we urge you to fill in the survey. We don't have any other contextual information at this stage such as when or if this is going to happen or how it fits in with other plans for the church, but the preamble to the survey gives a rough idea of what the Diocese have in mind.
Recently, the Diocese have contacted us again with a “final call” to fill in the survey before the consultation period ends, so for those who have not already done so, please make your views known now!
3. Barnard Park
Friends of Barnard Park have been in touch to advise us of two events:
- There will be another “Pop-Up” party on Saturday, June 11th , 11.00am to 3.00pm. This has been a very popular event in the past so do go along, or if you can, volunteer to help. The party flyer is attached.
- The Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday, May 12th at 7.30pm via Zoom. If you’d like to attend please email the Friends at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . The new masterplan for Barnards Park has received planning permission and the project manager will be describing next steps, so it should be very interesting!
For further details, please see the website at https://www.barnardpark.org/events.html .
4. National Garden Scheme – 12 Cloudesley Square
Rachel and Adam Bower invite you to visit their garden at 12 Cloudesley Square from 2.00pm to 5.30pm on Saturday 14th May, as part of the National Garden Scheme. This is a charity event – adults £4, children free.
5. Kings Cross
- The Live Art Car Boot Fair is taking place in Lewis Cubitt Square on 14th May. Tickets can be purchased online.
- Jubilee Weekend Colouring Workshops from 3-5 June (10am-6pm) with artist and illustrator Samme Snow in Coal Drops Yard. Sessions will be 30 mins long – it is worth reserving a free ticket to avoid disappointment.
If you are aware of any event, consultation or news item that you would like us to include in our next newsletter, please let us know.
As ever, if you know of any neighbour who is not on the Cloudesley Association email distribution list, please pass this email on and/or ask them to provide us with their contact details (to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) so that they can be kept in the loop.
Amanda and Nick
On behalf of
The Cloudesley Association
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Attachment: Email from Rowena re LTNs
From: Champion, Rowena <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;
Sent: 29 April 2022 14:16
To: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.' <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;
Cc: Russell, Amanda <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;
Subject: Cloudesley Association - LTNs
Dear Amanda and Nick,
I am sorry for the delay in responding.
I do appreciate that the LTNs remain a lively discussion topic, and that people do raise real issues. We are continuing to listen to people’s concerns and have made some changes in response.
In relation to the specific points you raise about the Liverpool Road cycle route, which connects to the permanent section of cycleway 38 across the Holloway Road, safety concerns were very much part of the decision. To some extent the nature of the route, which was put in as part of the easing of lockdown, and following the statutory guidance issued on 9th May 2020, means that it is likely that it can be improved.
This means it is even more incumbent on us to monitor the way it works and make changes. We did make some during the trial, including additional road markings and increasing visibility at some of the side street junctions, but we have announced that we will be making others. This includes replacing the two pedestrian refuges by Richmond Avenue and the Pig and Butcher, which I understand should be completed in the next two or three months.
In relation to the signage, I agree that unnecessary signage should be removed and officers are looking at this. We must, however, make sure that there is clear signage, particularly initially when there is a change of layout as we want to do what we can to make sure people are not caught out. We are installing planters at the filters to help emphasise the new road layout which should help to make the locations greener and more attractive as well.
In relation the benches, I understand at least one was removed after complaints of anti-social behaviour during the early stages of lockdown in 2020. I have discussed this with officers and they are happy to work with residents to install some benches.
Alternatively, the replacement of benches could be part of the new initiative we have to increase the amount of greenery in Islington, both to make the streets more attractive but also to make them more resilient to the impact of climate change. Islington is one of the six most vulnerable boroughs to climate change and is likely to experience more flooding and heat events in the future. Building on the amazing success of our Friends of Parks (such as Barnard Park, Thornhill Road Gardens and Lonsdale Square) and gardening groups we are giving local people and community groups the opportunity to work with the council to bring in more greening, including in the streets and forgotten corners. This could incorporate the benches into some greenery.
I can assure you that any further LTNs will be done with the engagement of local people including residents associations, and also with other measures to improve accessibility such as pavement works and greening. The changes were brought in in the way they were because of Covid and we would never have done it in that way otherwise.
I hope all is well.
Regards
Rowena
Councillor Rowena Champion
Executive Member for Environment & Transport
London Borough of Islington
Labour Councillor for Barnsbury Ward
Town Hall
Upper Street
London, N1 2UD
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
PA (Amanda): 020 7527 3051; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
From: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Sent: 08 March 2022 19:10
To: Champion, Rowena <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Cc: Cloudesley Association <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Subject: Cloudesley Association - LTNs
Dear Rowena
We hope you are well.
Last month we held our first Association meeting for a year. It was a very well attended meeting, which was excellent. “Low Traffic Neighbourhoods” was on the agenda and you won’t be surprised to learn that the topic raised quite a lively discussion. See below the relevant extract from our minutes. We are afraid most attendees at the meeting remain resolutely opposed to the LTN programme. In particular, residents are disappointed that none of the objections to the new Liverpool Road layout, which we documented extensively in the minutes to the previous meeting (which you attended) appear to have been addressed.
“At our last meeting just over a year ago, our local councillor Rowena Champion explained Islington’s “Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) / People Friendly Streets” programme. This topic was keenly debated by attendees at that meeting. In particular the new layout of Liverpool Road (also known as “Cycleway 38”) drew significant criticism and the manner of its introduction, with little to no consultation, was almost universally disliked. The minutes of that meeting documented residents’ objections in some detail. At the time, Rowena replied saying these objections would be taken into account and that the scheme was experimental and would be reviewed after 12 months.
One year later it seems that the consultation on Liverpool Road has closed and the review has concluded that the new layout should remain in place. Whilst a cycle lane separated from moving traffic has been welcomed by some cyclists, none of the objections raised by residents regarding safety of both pedestrians and cyclists (who may not be seen by cars turning at road junctions) appear to have been addressed, which was widely considered frustrating by residents. It was agreed that the Association should contact Rowena to gain a better understanding of what has been done to address safety concerns (if anything), what safety data has been considered in the consultation process and why residents’ concerns have been seemingly ignored and/or residents have not been given a suitable explanation as to why the current arrangements are deemed safe. We should also ask for clarification on plans for further Islington LTNs. It seems that a new “St Mary’s” LTN has been implemented (Cross St has been closed to through traffic) but this extends westwards only to Upper St and it is not clear whether yet more LTNs are planned for other parts of Barnsbury immediately surrounding the Cloudesley Estate.
Following the lively discussion which ensued it was reiterated that the Association may, in some circumstances, be prepared to provide feedback on consultation programmes on behalf of residents. However, it would only do so following (a) a request from the Association to its members for views/feedback on matters which have a direct and significant impact on us or our vicinity, and (b) receipt of instructions/views/feedback from members by the deadline set out in the request. Any such consultation response from the Association would make clear the views (either way) of those members and the number of members that had responded to our request.
Members were reminded that often the number of responses received on consultations is one of the most important factors taken into consideration and consequently we would recommend that members always make their views known on an individual basis in any event (via the many forums which now exist or via the ballot box!).
The following separate but related complaints were received from residents via email prior to the meeting:
- Too much signage and “street furniture”, much of it related to LTNs
- Removal of the island from the pedestrian crossing on Liverpool road is dangerous (one particular objection amongst many relating to Liverpool Road)
- Benches removed from Cloudesley Road should be reinstated
We would be ever so grateful if you could provide us with your feedback so that we can pass this on to residents – in particular, can we expect any of our/their objections to be addressed in the future or should we assume that the present unsatisfactory layout will stay in place? We are also concerned by rumours that further LTNs which may directly affect Cloudesley Association residents are being planned for areas of Barnsbury above and beyond the recently implemented St Mary’s LTN. Please would you clarify the position here and can you assure us that, if this is the case, the consultation and review process will be more extensive and transparent than was the case for either Liverpool Road or St Mary’s?
With kind regards,
Amanda and Nick
The Cloudesley Association
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web: www.cloudesleyassociation.org
Attachment: Flyer for Barnard Park Pop-Up Summer Party
