LARA (Leswin Area Residents’ Association) TRAFFIC IN OUR AREA AND CHANGES WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE

The Problems
A number of traffic issues have been identified, which are of concern to residents in the LARA area. In summary these include:
- Speeding cars along Stoke Newington High Street, Rectory Road, Manse Road and Evering Road in particular, with the LARA area effectively being cut off all surrounding areas and green spaces by fast traffic;
- Lack of pedestrian crossings across the High Street;
- Lack of safety of the existing crossings across the High Street; inadequate warning to drivers
- and bad traffic light phasing; this is a particular issue for people with children in William Patten school;
- Inadequate access of local residents to public transport due to bus routing around one-way system;
- Inadequate access into the area by bicycle, particularly due to both Brooke Rd and Evering Rd being one-way in the same direction;
- Cars ‘rat running’ up and down the residential streets off the High Street, Bayston Road in particular (this issue has been addressed in the past in Leswin Road by making part of it one-
way);
- Local ‘rat run’ along Lawrence Buildings and southbound drivers doing an illegal left turn onto Brooke Road in order to continue along Leswin Road;

The Gyratory
We believe that the majority of the problems listed above are caused by the gyratory or one-way system and would like to see this reviewed in light of these local issues.

We recognise that the A10 is a major artery into and out of London and we accept that this cannot be changed. Our aim however is to lessen and channel the impact of heavy traffic and unnecessary speeding through what is essentially a residential area and to improve pedestrian and cyclists’ connection between the LARA area and its surroundings, which include schools, shopping facilities, public transport, green spaces and other amenities.

LCC iH(London Cycling Campaign in Hackney) Position
LARA has consulted with LCC, who have a strong position on the above issues; their views are backed by experience with similar campaigns such as the Shoreditch High St. gyratory removal. Discussions with LCC also included consideration of other measures to improve accessibility to the area, including contraflow cycle lanes. Please see below for a summary of the LCC position.

LCC’s own current position is to reinstate 2-way traffic for all road users on Stoke Newington High Street, Rectory Road, Manse Road, Northwold Road, Evering Road, and Brooke Road. Their view is that 2-way traffic is preferable to contraflow cycling lanes, being much more effective at achieving slowed down and more even traffic flow; they advised that experience has proven that contraflow cycling lanes are a second-best option to returning the streetscape to its original appearance, causing problems especially at junctions.

In summary, some of the benefits of reintroducing 2-way traffic to the area could be:
- More continuous traffic flow generally
- No more speeding cars along the High Street, Rectory Road, Manse Road and Evering Road in particular
- Less rat-running;
- Reduction of density of traffic on the High Street at peak times;
- More local journeys undertaken on foot or by bike—the current picture is heavily distorted and not ‘normal’;
- Vastly improved access to public transport, mainly bus services, for local residents;
- Making for a more pleasant and less dangerous environment for pedestrians
- Increased retail activity as a consequence;

What would LARA like to see happen to the one way system and what other local traffic calming measures or complementary measures would we like to see put in place?
The suggestion here is a two-stage process: The removal of the gyratory, if this is agreed to be the long-term aim, must be preceded by local traffic calming measures - or In the very least local traffic calming would need to be introduced as complementary measures. The reason for this is that a reintroduction of a two-way system might increase rather than resolve some of the problems in our area, the major issue here being rat-running.

Step 1 – Local traffic calming measures, which are to include:
- 20mph speed limit throughout, properly enforced;
- ‘filtered permeability’ measures, such as ‘modal filters’ mid-way along residential roads, Leswin, Bayston and Darville Road in particular, to ‘filter out’ traffic unsuitable as through traffic in a residential area - across-the-road barriers in other words;
- Removal of local ‘rat run’ along Lawrence Buildings and stopping southbound drivers from doing an illegal left turn onto Brooke Road in order to continue along Leswin Road;
- More and safer pedestrian crossings across the High Street;
- Better traffic light placement and phasing;

Step 2 – Removal of the one-way system
The return of the gyratory to two-way operation could have the following benefits:
- Slower and more regulated motor traffic flow around the area;
- Less rat-running;
- Better pedestrian connections;
- Better permeability for cyclists (‘maximum route choice, minimum diversion’); thereby enabling more local journeys to be taken on foot or by bike;
- Improved accessibility throughout the area and to public transport;
- Less pollution and noise;
- A better public realm;
- Better access to and therefore possibly greater prosperity for local Businesses;

How can we bring about improvements and include also the views other local stakeholders?
LARA’s initial discussions have also included Louisa Thomson, councillor Stoke Newington Central ward. Louisa advised that TfL is the main organisation to be lobbied for our purpose- it is important to note that the A10, Manse, Evering and Rectory Road are all red routes and controlled by TfL.

TfL has carried out a feasibility study on the removal of the gyratory which is not positive in terms of removing it. Louisa Thomson advised that Hackney Council is currently conducting its own appraisal of the TfL study to look further into the options. The results of this are due this year and we understand there will be a full consultation with local residents and stakeholders in due course, to get a more coherent sense of residents’ views on the issue. She felt that there is an opportunity for the wider LARA meeting with local stakeholders to feed into this consultation but this would be more effective as a resident led campaign.

The subject is complex, and no doubt there are many different views and interests at stake. LARA would like to have an open discussion with interested residents and other local stakeholders, including residents’ and business associations and the local police;

We are therefore inviting the following persons, groups and organizations to a meeting on Thursday 17th June at 7.00pm at St Paul’s Church Hall to discuss their views:

- All residents of the LARA area
- Anyone living in the adjoining areas who is interested
- Living Streets
- NARG (Northwold Area Residents’ Group)
- CAAG (Cazenove Area Action Group)
- SNUG (Stoke Newington Common Users Group)
- Stoke Newington Business Association
- Stoke Newington Police
- Councillors Stoke Newington Central Ward
- Any others who have an interest in the matter

Leswin Area Residents Association (LARA) MINUTES

PUBLIC MEETING

7pm, Thursday 22nd April 2010
St Paul’s Hall, Evering Road, N16

Present:
Committee: Jim Westwood, Fiona Fieber, Laurie Byrne, Maureen Diffley, Helen Rawlinson, Andrea Jung

Apologies:
Anne Towndrow, Deborah James, Chris Dennis, Georgina Allen

1. Traffic Issues
We talked about advertising our next meeting as a special LARA one–off to discus the Gyratory and other issues such as:
What would LARA like to see happen to the one way system e.g. is it a good or bad thing as it stands?
What traffic related measures would we like to see put in place anyway such as traffic calming, 20mph zone, one way system or roads blocked to stop ‘rat running’, more crossing points on the high road etc? Cycle lanes?
Action: Draft a LARA position on the issues and post on the Blog. Andrea
Invite Council Officers, Police and other stakeholders to the meeting. Circulate draft to Councillors.
Meeting Date: Thursday 17th June at St Paul’s Hall

2. The Big Lunch
LARA will organise a Big Lunch picnic on the Recreation Ground to tie in with the nation-wide event being held on Sunday 18th July. Everyone welcome, bring food to share, blankets to sit on etc. Local musicians. Performers. Games. Decorations.
Fiona, Niall, Maureen, Laurie, Barbara, Helen and Mohammed agreed to help organise the Big lunch and will meet in June.
More info and ideas at http://www.thebiglunch.com/ .

• We need help to plan and publicise. Anyone interested visit the Blog or please drop a note through one of the agreed post box doors:

• Laurie at 62b Darville Rd

• Maureen at 54 Leswin Rd

3. Licensing issues
We talked about the idea of ‘Special Policy Area’ status which restricts the
number of licensed premises whilst maintaining the balance of a good night’s sleep with a vibrant night time economy. Follow up at the next meeting.

4. Gardening
Share cuttings, surplus plants etc by putting them, labelled for identification, out at the front of our houses, and posting a note on the Blog.

5. AOB

• It was suggested that when distributing the Newsletter, publicity etc it would be good to knock on doors and talk to people face to face.

• Niall presented the plans for improvements to the Recreation Ground, and told us that a funding bid was going in to the Heritage lottery Fund. Agreed there could be an info stall at the Big Lunch.

6. Date of Next Public Meeting: Thursday 17th June, St Paul’s Hall
NB. This meeting will focus on Traffic Issues.

Celebrate Hackney, 5 June: help make it a success!

It is now just one month to the biggest community gathering in Hackney for many years; Saturday 5 June and the Celebrate Hackney event, to be held at Stoke Newington School from 10.30am to 4.30pm!

We have over 50 speakers from community groups, in 15 workshops, on greening Hackney, lifelong learning, miscarriages of justice (Celia Stubbs from the Blair Peach campaign will be joining campaigns for Sam Hallam), the arts in Hackney (Roland Muldoon will have lots to say!), defending public services, new initiative to make Hackney a ‘sanctuary borough’ for migrants, Gay Pride, young people, older people, peace groups, faith groups, trade union groups.

It is going to be fantastic. There are also 30 information stalls from local groups and a further four food stalls (Thai, Turkish, Caribbean and Vegan). There will also be children’s activities. We will have a mini-film festival, entertainment from local performers and a ‘question time’ with local politicians (your chance to have your say after the elections).

For more details visit: http://www.hackneyunites.org.uk/

The event is co-ordinated by Hackney Unites, but it has grown so much bigger than we could dare to hope that we now need to ask for help to make it the success it deserves to be.

To publicise the event we are producing a tabloid paper featuring the groups who are involved, and the work they do. We are having 50,000 printed, but we need help to distribute them. We are organising a distribution meeting on 12 May, between 7pm, and 8.30pm, at the Trinity Centre, Beechwood Road , Dalston , E8 3DY .

The aim of the meeting will be to organise the distribution of the tabloid paper. We are asking you to take just 300 papers to distribute door-to-door in the streets near where you live.

We will be organising distribution on a ward-by-ward basis and encouraging teams of volunteers to work together to make it less of a chore and to maximise coverage, so please bring some friends along!

If you can help, please let us know. You can either collect papers from the Trinity Centre on 12 May (the parking restrictions are not in place after 6pm) or we can deliver them to your door. Please let us know what you can do, and how many papers you can take.

Also, if you are able to take a number of papers for display in a community centre, or are able to display them at forthcoming events, then please let us know.

If you want attend on 5 June, can I also ask you to sign up to attend the event. While it is free, we need to be able to estimate numbers (for caterers and stewarding)

http://celebratehackney.eventbrite.com/

If you are on facebook, then please also sign up the event at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=120552934622314
(and then invite your friends to attend so that people get to hear of the day).

If you have a blog, please give us a plug.

We have some great posters for the Celebrate Hackney event, if you could get them stuck up somewhere, please let us know.

Finally, please forward this email to people who you think would be interested in Hackney Unites, the tabloid, and the Celebrate Hackney event.

Thank you to everyone for your help and assistance.

John Page