‘We are working to create people-friendly streets that work for everyone, including disabled residents’

• ISLINGTON Council is committed to creating safer, greener, and healthier streets, as part of our ambition to achieve net zero carbon status by 2030.

We are working to create people-friendly streets that work for everyone, including disabled residents.

That’s why we’ve implemented low traffic neighbourhood trials to make residential streets quieter, safer, and more pleasant for people with walking aids, wheelchairs, and mobility scooters.

It is also why every street in the borough remains accessible by motor vehicle, so residents that need to travel by car can continue to do so easily.

Throughout the trials we have engaged with disability groups and groups representing people with complex needs, to answer questions and to take on board their valuable feedback.

People-friendly streets are 18-month trials, with formal consultations taking place approximately 12 months into each scheme to help decide if they should remain permanently.

Following the letter in the Tribune, (LTNs are not working, July 16), [by Edward Cripwell, advice, case and project worker, for and on behalf of Disability Action in Islington], we would like to clarify that council officers did not claim at a recent Highbury West ward partnership meeting to have consulted with Disability Action in Islington (DAII).

Council officers said at the ward partnership meeting that they have engaged with DAII to gather feedback about the trials.

This was at a meeting in October 2020, where the council took away useful feedback on the low traffic neighbourhoods, some of which already were in place at that time.

The council wrote to DAII before publication of last week’s Tribune to clear up this confusion about what was said at the Highbury West ward partnership meeting.

We are very grateful to DAII for the feedback they have given so far on people-friendly streets low traffic neighbourhoods, and have arranged to meet them again soon.

We are committed to ensuring that all local people, including disabled people, have their voices heard during the consultations. This will include holding focus groups with disabled people and groups representing disabled people.

In the meantime we are listening to all feedback on the trials and, where necessary, are acting on this feedback.

To give your feedback on a people-friendly streets trial in your area, fill in one of our surveys by heading to: Islington.gov.uk/people-friendly-streets and clicking the link to the relevant scheme, where you can also find our resident impact assessments.

KEITH TOWNSEND
Corporate Director for Environment
Islington Council