• FURTHER to Richard Lucraft’s letter (Cycleway plan lacks research, July 19), highlighting the difficulty of exiting the enclave of Witherington Road and neighbouring streets, as a fellow resident of Witherington, I am also horrified at plans to slow the parallel section of Drayton Park by narrowing the lanes, introducing a roundabout and multiple zebra-crossings.

This will lengthen the queue of traffic to the Holloway Road lights, and increase noxious toxins outside Drayton Park school.

Vehicles will be sent hurtling the length of Witherington Road to leap ahead of this queue.

To an extent this rat-running already happens. I often see children playing in Witherington Road after school and having to evade racing, rush-hour traffic.

The council’s plans will massively increase this risk of accidents, as well as the noise and pollution to this enclave.

And it’s not just exiting our homes via Horsell Road that will be made more difficult. Hidden away in a PDF attached to the main proposal web page (https://www.islington.gov.uk/consultations/highbury-cycleway-consultation) is the council’s plan to also ban turning right from Drayton Park into Horsell Road.

During hours when Arvon Road is closed for school safety, accessing our homes will require a precarious U-turn manoeuvre around the proposed narrow mini-roundabout.

As primarily a cyclist, I support the campaign to shift people from four to two wheels, but these thoughtless plans for this section of Drayton Park will only succeed in shafting the people who live, study and play in this enclave.

This section of Drayton Park is the only part of the proposed route that already has cycle lanes in both directions and is relatively slow moving.

Perceived danger on this part of Drayton Park will be converted into actual danger on Witherington Road and surrounding streets.

BRENDAN HOLMES
Witherington Road, N5