Very pleased to see your paper (and mayor Sadiq Khan) acknowledging the work of Haringey and Islington Councils to save unnecessary deaths by setting up anti-suicide measures on Archway Bridge writes Cllr Dave Poyser (Hillrise, Lab).

Engineering-wise the best structure is not easy to achieve.

But let’s hope that 2018 is a year after which our much loved local landmark Archway Bridge is never again known as “suicide bridge”.

Having just read the Islington Gazette (December 21), I see the draft plan for the alterations planned for the roundabout road layout changes have been published, writes Mr J E Kirby, Clissold Crescent, Stoke Newington.

Having walked round the pedestrian diversion on Tuesday [December 21] and seen the traffic chaos during the afternoon as a result of making the remaining section of the roundabout two-way while the bridge works are ongoing until, I cannot see why this alteration needs to be done.

I suppose money has to be spent for the sake of spending it. Yet TfL is pleading poverty due to fewer journeys being taken on the Underground, for instance, and having to delay projects like the extension of the Metropolitan line into Watford Junction station rather than its present Watford terminus, and new rolling stock for lines it provides the service on.

It is claimed that the section of roundabout carriageway between Upper Street and Holloway Road needs to be closed to allow access to the greenery in the middle of the roundabout. There is already a traffic-light-controlled pedestrian crossing where Upper Street enters the roundabout – surely it would be more cost effective to add an extra arm to this crossing to access the centre of the roundabout.

Apparently the road layout was changed to its present form in the 1960s to improve traffic flow. However, if you look at the traffic, how does it make sense to put the road layout back to what it was some 57 or so years ago? To my mind it does not.

I agree Highbury Corner roundabout is not fit for today’s traffic compared with nearly 60 years ago when it was built. However, to put it back to the layout of nearly 60 years ago at today’s traffic levels is in my opinion utter madness. People complain about pollution from traffic – if you go down Holloway Road on an average day you see traffic crawling along due to parking in bus lanes, etc.

If traffic was allowed to move more freely then it would draw the pollution along with it and would also be more economical as to crawl along at walking pace as if in a funeral procession wastes fuel and also is a cause of pollution. Another cause of pollution is by, believe it or not, the habit of buses held at bus stops for a short while either for a change of driver or to even out the service frequency. Why when they do this do the drivers have to set there with the engine idling away? Surely they should, if they have to wait sometimes up to five minutes, be required to turn off the engine, especially if it’s an older bus.

I know on the new buses on the 236 route from Finsbury Park, for instance, when the bus pulls up at a stop and the driver opens the doors, the engine automatically stops, and restarts when the doors close.

No doubt I will stir up the inevitable hornets’ nest with this letter but surely if people want a bit of green space, then it is better to go to Highbury Fields just a few hundred yards away.

Better still, going there you are away from the noise of the traffic, but then that would be by far too sensible a thing to do. Why go there and get fresh air when you can go to the centre of the roundabout and breathe in all of that wonderful traffic-laden air?

I’m writing this to you about the Holloway Morrisons, writes Miss M Wash, Northview, Holloway.

I live on my own like a lot of other elderly people I know.

On December 23 I went into Morrisons to get some meat for my Christmas dinner and thought I would treat myself to a joint. The shelfs had no joints of beef, pork or shoulder of lamb, also no chickens, thighs or drumsticks. In other words the shelves were empty. I did ask a manager about the thighs and he went out the back but said there was to much to look for me. I know joints of meat are dear but I had some coupons to use. Then when I went to get milk, no two-pint bottles. Also the bread dates were Christmas Day, which is no good to someone on their own.

I did phone head office and was told they would speak to the manager and area manager. Another friend phoned head office and got told they were having trouble getting supplies to the store but you could not move in the aisle with boxes of food. This store has gone down so much and nothing gets done about it.

I would like to know if any of your readers have found this as well.