• “LOCAL businesses are a vital part of the community,” states Islington Council.

Yet Drayton Park, one of the roads with traders most affected by “people-friendly streets” LTN, is currently being torn apart by road works for a separate scheme to make it a cycleway.

This has cut off access to shops, making it almost impossible for them to make or accept deliveries. It’s also noisy, dusty and generally unpleasant for shop workers and any customers.

The council’s justification is that retail spending can be boosted by encouraging walking and cycling improvements. For this, they are relying on documents recently found to be unlawful and “ill-considered” by a recent High Court judicial review.

Meanwhile, the work, and the damage to the traders, continues regardless. Will this parade of shops, that has existed for over a century, survive the completion of the work, let alone the 18-month trial for the LTN?

RICHARD SMITH
Highbury Hill, N5