The vision is to transform local areas into inviting and inclusive spaces

PLANS for Islington’s first “Liveable Neighbourhood” have split residents with some branding the consultation as “atrocious” and others heaping praise on a mission to be “greener, nicer, and safer”.

The “package of improvements” unveiled by the council on Tuesday includes new green spaces, improved pavements, and more child-friendly streets in the Mildmay ward area.

Environment chief Councillor Rowena Champion said the plans were the product of two years of work and listening to residents, and according to the Town Hall more than 500 people gave their views on the proposals.

Ward councillor Jenny Kay said: “Every aspect of the scheme – whether it’s major changes like relocating the primary school entrance or minor pavement repairs – has been driven by input from the residents and businesses of Newington Green,” she said. “I always believed that authentic engagement and consultation with those who know the area best could lead to superior design and strong community support.”

But Islington has seen before – when it introduced its low traffic neighbourhoods – that not everybody agrees with closing roads or the claim that it listens to residents.

Rebekah Kelly, who is part of anti-LTN campaign group Keep Islington Moving (KIM) and attended consultation events for the scheme, said locals had not been kept up to date.

She said: “It’s atrocious that the council actually call this Engagement and Design (EAD), because the Mildmay community have been left in the dark since the EAD event in October. There have no updates at all until this press release.”

Ms Kelly added that KIM would “never support a scheme that closes streets and displaces traffic onto community main roads where people live, work, and use to catch public transport”. She said: “The scheme is socially unjust benefiting one demographic of the community over another, and the council is paying homage to faux green activism from cycling lobby groups.”

The council has supporters too. Sarah Harrison, a Mildmay resident, said: “Rowena has been extraordinarily good at listening to people who are simply unreasonable. The grumpy people just say the same thing over and over again. She has been so patient and listened and made compromises.

“You can’t please everybody at the same time. The people who were cross should be less cross now.”

Ms Harrison added that the proposals would make Mildmay “greener, nicer, and safer”, encouraging locals to walk to the shops and make the most of the shared community spaces.

Andy Grazebrook, a trustee of Newington Green Action Group which has spent years campaigning for safer pedestrian crossings and improvements to air quality around Newington Green, said he was “very pleased to see the upgrading to some of the crossings as part of the liveable neighbourhood works.”

He added: “We urge Islington Council to deliver these works quickly and to prioritise the other pedestrian crossings next year.”

Cllr Champion, said: “We believe that Islington’s streets aren’t just routes from A to B – they’re community spaces that everyone should be able to enjoy using, and play a vital role in realising our greener, healthier ambitions to create a more equal borough.

“We’ve worked directly with hundreds of local people, businesses, and groups over more than two years to understand how we can work together to unlock Mildmay’s huge potential, and their feedback has shaped our plans for the area.

“We’ve seen overall air quality improve – both within all seven of our low-traffic neighbour­hoods and on their boundary roads and surrounding roads. So, we’re really excited to see the huge benefits of the borough’s first liveable neighbour­hood in creating more welcoming spaces, supporting local people’s health and wellbeing, and bringing people together.”