• THE cycling lobby’s jubilation over Transport for London’s grand vision for more cycling provision must not drown out the real threat to reduce the free green space available to people by taking Finsbury Park land along Seven Sisters Road for a new cycle road.

Yes, safer cycling options should be created. Yes, there are health benefits and environmental benefits of increased levels of cycling.

But taking a large strip of a park used by three boroughs is not progress on health or aesthetic grounds. It is destruction of open green space for a vanity statutory project when better alternatives are available.

The route could use the existing wide road inside the park. Quieter pleasant routes than Seven Sisters Road are available to get people on their bike from Camden to Tottenham Hale.

The Friends of Finsbury Park has robustly defend the park against the mega-events and mismanagement of Haringey Council. It must be equally committed to saving the park from this attempt to permanently shrink free public green space.

“Not a blade of grass” is the rallying call to those who want to protect free public green space and be true friends of the park.

MARTIN BALL
Friends of Finsbury Park
(In a private capacity)