‘Safety of children is at risk’: Islington transport boss set to face testing Archway gyratory questions tonight
Cllr Claudia Webbe will face traffic safety questions at the Islington Town Hall meeting tonight - Credit: Archant
The safety of children in an Archway nursery is set to be called into question at a council meeting tonight.
Cllr Claudia Webbe, Islington’s transport leader, will face public questions about a high-speed crash outside the Vorley Road nursery at the end of last month, as well as concerns about pollution.
Both are linked to the controversial removal of Archway’s one-way gyratory system. More than 1,000 signatures opposed the plans – with many based on concerns for the centre.
Resident Kiat Phua will tell the chamber: “Many parents are alarmed by the accident outside Archway Children’s Centre on January 28. A speeding car spun 360 degrees and hit barriers outside the nursery entrance as it headed out to Junction Road.
“I understand the one-way traffic system on Vorley Road will be reversed. Could the council make Vorley Road safer by banning left turns from Junction Road as part of the traffic reversal – and look into separating Vorley Road from MacDonald Road as part of the longer-term plan for more affordable housing in the area?”
Claudine Fry will also ask Cllr Webbe: “What are you doing to ensure the 600-plus families who regularly use Archway Children’s Centre are not exposed to high levels of pollution and danger as a result of the gyratory changes, which will re-route heavy traffic along the narrow street the centre is located on?”
Budget
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Meanwhile, the authority, made up of 47 Labour councillors and one Green, is expected to ratify its 2016/17 budget at tonight’s meeting, which begins at 7.30pm in the town hall. As reported in the Gazette, senior councillors Richard Watts and Andy Hull have drawn up a draft budget aimed at dealing with youth violence. An extra £500,000 is planned for mentors with a track record of turning vulnerable lives around.
