Stoke Newington residents: Road closures around new cycle route 'will make pollution worse'

Dangerous junctions: Residents claim the new cycle route is making their lives a living hell
Nigel Howard
Fiona Simpson30 January 2017

Cyclists and residents have called on council chiefs to reconsider road closures in a trendy part of east London which they say will make their lives a "living hell."

Residents in Stoke Newington want Hackney Council to alter their plans to close roads around the CS1 cycle route, which links the City to Tottenham.

Wordsworth Road, Matthias and Boleyn Road, Wordsworth and Bennett Road, Salcombe Road and Truman’s Road were closed to traffic in a bid to reduce congestion around CS1.

Campaigners say the closures has forced extra traffic onto already busy roads, such as Stoke Newington High Street, causing road rage rows to erupt between cyclists and motorists.

They also fear the increased traffic will lead to a rise in pollution in Stoke Newington, a popular area for families with young children.

At a meeting last week, a spokeswoman for one residents' group said: “There has been an increase in traffic and congestion due to displaced traffic.

“Residents have reported multiple incidents of road rage, cars beeping and people shouting due to traffic jams, lay people directing vehicles, motorcycles and cyclists driving along the pavements to avoid the jams.

Cycle superhighway: Residents have raised concerns about the cycle path
Shutterstock

“These are roads where there are lots of children living and nurseries and this is a major safety risk.

“Vehicle air pollution has been displaced to residential roads north of the closures. Longer journey times of around 10 to 15 minutes are being reported, inevitably increasing pollution.

“There are schools and nurseries on these roads which poses a danger to the health of children.

“Nevill Road - a core section of CS1 - is now more dangerous for cyclists due to an increase in the number of vehicles through displacement.

“In November 2016 a boy was knocked over by a cyclist while crossing the road. We would argue that Wordsworth road was never previously dangerous for cyclists.”

New mum: Anna Williams says the cycle superhighway has raised concerns over the health of her baby

New mum Anna Williams, 29, who lives in Brighton Road, told the Standard she was “concerned” about taking her three-month-old daughter close to the route over fears pollution would affect her health.

She said: “When I take her out she’s at the same level as the car exhausts in her pram, I worry about her health.

“There are also often angry drivers beeping their horns and shouting outside our window just after we’ve got her to sleep and it wakes her up. It’s very frustrating.”

Painter and decorator William Howie, 69, of Cressington Close estate, described how he had become “trapped in his own home” following the road closures.

He said: “It’s been catastrophic since the closures.

“People on the school run are blocking us in so we are trapped in our own homes. It’s a living hell.

“I walk a mile a day to drop my grandchildren at school because it’s easier than driving. It now takes me an extra 15 minutes to leave my house. They need to re-open the roads.”

Cyclist Jean Morris, 65, of Brighton Road, claimed the new scheme had made the roads more dangerous for cyclists.

She said: “It’s much more dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians. People can’t cross CS1 because the cyclists come round too fast.

“Cars are blocking up the roads and cyclists are driving on the pavement. It’s a mess.”

Responding to concerns Councillor Feryal Demirci told the council: “The changes to Wordsworth Road have been designed with the aim of reducing motor traffic in the area.

“We understand that concerns of traffic displacement, driver frustration and increased congestion have been reported on the local roads north of Palatine Road.

"We are holding site visits with residents and are going to carry out full traffic counts surveys from the beginning of February. We will also review parking the area.

“As already mentioned, we need to understand the full impact of the road closures – i.e. analysing traffic counts and residents’ views – before deciding on what to do next.

“Having dealt with the ‘rat-running’ in Wordsworth Road, the Council will now look at options to develop something similar for the roads that are experiencing displaced traffic.

“Options might include measures such as point closures and banned turns. Any proposals will be subject to further consultation.”

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