THE much-hated Archway Gyratory moved a step closer to disappearing forever this week - but the row over who will pay the �8million cost of removing it rumbles on.

Transport for London has given Islington Council the green light to re-examine the possibility of getting rid of the roundabout at the top of Holloway Road - but town hall chiefs want London Mayor Boris Johnson to pay for the scheme too.

Councillor Paul Convery, Islington Council’s executive member for planning and regeneration, said: “I had a meeting with senior TfL officials and they agreed to proceed with the removal of the gyratory. Everybody that lives and works in Archway knows that the gyratory is the single largest problem in the area.

“It’s a ghastly environmental hazard that splits the town centre in two and results in fumes belching into the air.

“It was a ghastly 1960s mistake and we are finally determined to fix it, but we need the Mayor to pay for it.

“We want Mr Johnson to visit Archway and commit the �7million or �8million it will cost. Islington Council does not have the money, but for TfL its a relatively small sum. The Archway gyratory is part of the A1 after all - it’s TfL’s monstrosity and its time they sorted it out.”

A Transport for London (TfL) spokesman said: “Previously, TfL, working closely with Islington Council, investigated the possibility of removing the Archway Gyratory as part of its work to improve conditions for all road users and compliment major development aspirations in the area. Islington Council is now revisiting some of the traffic modelling and options for the gyratory.

“The full removal of the gyratory is an expensive option and due to the current budget restrictions placed upon TfL, any funding for this scheme would need to come from a third party source.”