Healthier, Safer, Greener, Fairer

The Barnsbury & Laycock Liveable Neighbourhood consultation has finally begun! The plans are ambitious, and will bring about healthier, safer, greener, fairer streets for all.

Now is the time to support the plans yourself and make sure friends and neighbours do too. Learn all about the plans, then take the Council’s survey.

What is a Liveable Neighbourhood?

It's a network of streets where people are prioritised over cars. Through traffic is removed or reduced, making it safer and more enjoyable for residents to walk, wheel, and cycle. Less traffic improves existing green spaces and creates opportunities for new ones. All homes and businesses remain accessible by vehicle.

What are the benefits?

Streets can do more than carry rat-running cars and vans! When we reclaim some of that space for people, incredible things can happen.

Less traffic

• Many vehicle trips have been replaced by people walking, wheeling and cycling according to monitoring reports from schemes elsewhere in Islington. The young, old and inexperienced feel safe to play, walk and cycle. Many disabled people feel safer navigating quieter streets.
• Traffic has reduced by 64% on roads within Islington People Friendly Streets and on average by 3% on boundary roads.

Healthier communities

• Air pollution reduced significantly within Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) without displacing the problem to nearby streets, new research has shown.
• Cycling has increased by 49% within Islington LTNs and on average by 10% on boundary roads.
• Inside London LTNs, total injuries halved after LTN implementation.
• Met Police have confirmed a reduction in crime and antisocial behaviour in other LTNs.
• Road space can be transformed into community space for play, planting, growing, and places to meet.

Why do we need changes here?

The status quo isn’t forever. And that’s a good thing, because there are lots of things we need to improve! Fortunately, enabling people of all ages and abilities to walk, wheel and cycle helps with all of these.

Health

• Child asthma levels in Islington are amongst the highest in London with an average of two kids in every class diagnosed with asthma.
• Nearly 40% of children at year six in Islington are overweight/obese.

Air Pollution

• 9,000 people die early each year in London due to air pollution.
• All Islington schools exceed air quality safety guidelines set by the WHO.
• 50% of Islington’s NO2 emissions come from transport.

Safety

• 141 people a year are killed or seriously injured by drivers on Islington’s roads.
• 20 children have been killed or seriously injured over a five year period.

The Environment

• Transport is the UK’s largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions; cars are the biggest part of that.
• Islington is one of the six London boroughs most susceptible to climate change.
• More than a third of trips currently taken by car in London could be cycled in ~10 minutes or walked in <25.

Fairness

• Only 33% of Islington families (mainly better-off ones) have access to private cars but we all suffer the consequences of traffic.
• We’ve had traffic filters in the area since the 1960s but they only benefit a few streets. A 2023 upgrade is needed to make Barnsbury & Laycock a more people-friendly place for all.