Liverpool Road residents take to the streets to protest about traffic levels in their area

“SAVE our lungs” is the call of a determined campaign by a group of residents.

Liverpool Road residents have come together to fight against parts of the Barnsbury and Laycock liveable neighbourhood scheme, which they say pushes excess traffic onto their road.

They argue that traffic levels were already pushed up to unliveable levels after the roundabout was taken away from Highbury Corner. Currently, traffic along the road can peel off down some select side streets. But if the new scheme comes into play, once cars are in Liverpool Road, they have nowhere else to go.

Jo Michaelides, a leading member of the campaign group “Save Lungs on Liverpool Road” said: “There’s a big concentration of vehicles coming up this road. And we’ve been trying for years now to try and get the council to do something to address this increase in traffic, and they just don’t seem to be interested.”

St Mary Magdalene Academy is in Liverpool Road and campaigners are concerned for the health of the students. “You’ve got 1,400 kids walking to and from school twice a day,” Ms Michaelides said. “Why should they be breathing in three times the World Health Organisation limit of nitrogen dioxide?

“Why should that be happening when meanwhile around the corner, you’ve got streets which have got zero traffic and people may be at work all day.”

Fehran Pegano, another resident, added: “Calling a neighbourhood liveable means you’re calling everywhere else unliveable. That means you’re accepting that wherever the traffic is pushed on to becomes unliveable.”

The group is keen to get across that they’re not pro- or anti-low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs).

Sarah Holmes, another resident campaigner, said: “If you’re going to have a liveable neighbourhood, and within that group, your main road is Liverpool Road, and that is where the highest levels of pollution and noise are, then you should build your plans around that road, because otherwise you’re not achieving anything.”

Deborah Wheeler, who owns My Little Garden London flower shop in Liverpool Road, has been standing outside her shop, leafleting people, and talking to them about the issue.

“In the council’s proposal, there’s a little paragraph that identifies how terrible traffic is,” she said. “It says traffic affects the heart, the lungs – and then, we have this. So, they’re basically saying, ‘so, we’re going to kill you with it’.”

The group has started a petition online that has gathered more than 1,000 signatures.

They hope to get that number up to 2,000, which will spark a council debate.

They want to encourage people to take part in the council’s consultation on the liveable neighbourhood, which closes on Sunday.

Councillor Rowena Champion, executive member for environment, air quality and transport, said: “Within each neighbourhood we’re working directly with local people to understand the changes they’d like to see. That’s exactly what we’re doing in Barnsbury and Laycock, where we spoke with local people, businesses, and communities between November 2022 and April 2023.

“Based on what local people tell us, we’ll then develop final proposed designs for the neighbourhood, which we’ll consult on in 2024.

“So far, local people have told us about their concerns regarding traffic, and the need for child-friendly streets. Our proposals are designed to address those concerns and to make all streets – including Upper Street and Liverpool Road – greener, healthier, and more welcoming.

“This is a journey we’re taking with local people, and we’re continuing to listen carefully to feedback to ensure the neighbourhood meets the needs of local people.”