Changes are being made to make to traffic restrictions in St Peter’s, after complaints the Packington Estate is being used as a rat run by motorists wanting to avoid being caught by a traffic camera.

St Peter’s was the first people-friendly street scheme introduced by Islington Council last July, which has now rolled out six other similar schemes.

The idea is to reduce pollution and encourage walking and cycling by blocking some entrances to through-roads for cars.

Low traffic neighbourhoods (LTN) are controlled through bollards and smart cameras to catch motorists breaching the new rules, and charge them fixed fines.

A report monitoring the first six months of the trial, published in March, showed there had been "reduced traffic, less air pollution, and less speeding", the council said.

But it had also received complaints that traffic had increased around the estate located alongside the Regent's Canal by motorists in order to avoid a traffic camera filter in Prebend Street.

Islington Gazette: Prebend StreetPrebend Street (Image: Google)

Changes are now being made, which include relocating the bus gate in Prebend Street to the west of the junction of Coleman Fields, and introducing a new filter at Coleman Fields - both of which will both be camera-enforced.

An existing width restriction filter in Prebend Street will be removed so emergency services and larger vehicles can pass through, and the shared-use parking bay in Basire Street will be converted into a loading bay for local businesses.

Islington Gazette: A map showing the changes to the St Peter's people-friendly streets neighbourhood made by Islington CouncilA map showing the changes to the St Peter's people-friendly streets neighbourhood made by Islington Council (Image: Islington Council)

Work on implementing the changes will start on Monday (June 14) and should be finished by June 25.

The council's eco chief, Cllr Rowena Champion, said: “The council is listening to local people and we are more than willing to make changes to our people-friendly streets schemes where necessary."

Each scheme is being piloted for 18 months, with consultations on whether they should remain permanently set to take place about a year in.

The council says that to "allow for the changes to the St Peter’s trial to settle in, and to give local people sufficient chance to experience them", public consultation for that scheme will take place in September.