• THE traffic situation around Finsbury Park has this week been abysmal as a result of Thames Water digging up Seven Sisters Road near the junction with Stroud Green Road.

The work started on Monday March 14. As a result of the work, four lanes have been cut to two lanes, one in each direction. Cars gridlocked back to Manor House in the east and to Hornsey Road in the west became the order of the day.

It was no better to the north and in the south of the site. It was no surprise that social media was alight with complaints from the anti-LTN brigade.

However, by Friday March 18 (just five days later) most of these traffic tail-backs had significantly reduced as drivers found out about the works and resorted to other routes or decided to use public transport instead.

The disappointing feature of this whole episode is that there appears to have been little or no co-ordination and communication from, and between, Thames Water, Transport for London, and Islington Council.

Residents and drivers passing through Finsbury Park were simply not forewarned about the scale and impact. Were Waze and other satnav providers informed in advance of these works? Was local radio and media notified?

In May last year, the unforeseen burst water main in Holloway Road caused traffic chaos; this event is different. Works of this magnitude must have been planned in advance and the scale of the disruption predictable.

In which case the lack of co-ordination and communication from Thames Water, TfL, and Islington Council is unforgivable.

It might be a good idea if one of Islington’s councillors or officers could draft a letter for next week’s Tribune explaining the steps that the council had taken to publicise Thames Water’s works? The only good news is that Thames’s work is scheduled to be completed by April 2.

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