Civic groups are united in calling for outdated roads to be redesigned to help improve Archway

Published: 12th May, 2011
PROPERTY by DAN CARRIER

THE motorised dreams of car-crazy urban planners of the 1960s look set to be consigned to history after it emerged there is strong support for re-drawing Archway’s one-way system.

The dual-lane junction in the heart of Archway has long been criticised as an unnecessary blight by master architect and town planner Sir Terry Farrell. 

Civic groups The Better Archway Forum, the Highgate Society, Islington Living Streets and Islington Cyclists’ Action Group have banded together to call for the one-way route, which created a small island sandwiched between Junction Road, Highgate Hill, the Archway Road, St John’s Way and Holloway Road, to be scrapped. 

It was designed when London planners had hoped to connect the end of the A1 motorway to the heart of the capital – and use Highgate Hill for traffic heading north, while the Archway Road and Holloway Road would take cars and trucks rumbling south.

But even though the plans were rejected more than three decades ago, the one-way system remains. 

The Better Archway Forum (BAF), who have been lobbying for years to persuade Islington Council to take up the mantle of improving the area, say a £2million pot recently earmarked for the area should go towards scrapping the roundabout. 

The BAF’s Kate Calvert said: “We are delighted to see that there is cross-party support for sorting out the Archway roads and returning them to a normal two-way flow.”

She said BAF research had shown it would, among other advantages, create a smoother flow of traffic, and mean a new “cycle superhighway” from Muswell Hill to Angel could be incorporated into the Archway streets.

They also believe the changes would help improve air quality in Archway which often breaches upper limits set by the European Union.

“£2m is already available for Archway public realm improvement,” said Ms Calvert. “It has been public policy for the past 20 years that the roads should be sorted out, but this is the first time such a large sum has been available. 

“It makes up at least half of the more realistic lower cost estimate of the work required, and the remaining 40 per cent to 50 per cent  is effectively provided by savings in other GLA expenditure, for example on improving air quality, and for the cycle superhighway. 

“What needs to happen next is to allocate part of the £2m for Archway public realm improvement to pay for traffic modelling – costing around £50,000 – and for a public consultation to find the preferred option.” 

This could mean the roundabout could go in the next four years. 

Janet Burgess, Labour councillor for Junction ward, is backing plans to scrap the one-way route. 

“It will undoubtedly improve the area and this remains a long-term goal for us,” she said.

Cllr Burgess said the roads were the respon­sibility of Transport for London (TfL) and the council were locked in talks with them. 

But while the BAF’s campaign to have the gyratory scrapped has wide support, the sheer cost – anywhere between £4m and £7m – means it is a long-term goal and the diggers will not be moving in any time soon.

Cllr Burgess added: “We are in discussions and of course we feel it needs to be done sooner rather than later.

“They say they are not averse to this plan but it still could take several years.”

Archway is due to have smaller cosmetic changes made – funded by the Town Hall’s own £2m pot allocated for the area – and some of this money will go towards the groundwork being done for scrapping the one-way roundabout and making it easier to cross to the island.

Cllr Burgess said that removing it would help, but Archway had other issues to tackle.

“I think it will do an enormous amount to improve the area but it cannot be the only thing,” she said. “Businesses are struggling and there are many empty homes.” 

The loss of government officers working at the Archway Tower will have further knock-on effects to shops and businesses in the area, added Cllr Burgess.