Islington's Transport Strategy and Local ... - Islington Council

Islington’s Transport Strategy 

Local Implementation Plan 2011 to 2031 

March 2012

Islington’s Transport Strategy 

Local Implementation Plan 2011 to 2031 

Contents 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................6 

ISLINGTON’S KEY TRANSPORT CHALLENGES ...................................................................................6 

THE CHALLENGE OF GROWTH ........................................................................................................7 

THE CHALLENGE OF FAIRNESS.......................................................................................................8 

THE CHALLENGE OF PLACE............................................................................................................8 

TRANSPORT OBJECTIVES ..............................................................................................................9 

INVESTING IN PEOPLE AND PLACES ................................................................................................9 

THREE-YEAR DELIVERY PROGRAMME.............................................................................................9 

REMOVAL OF ONE-WAY SYSTEMS ................................................................................................10 

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS........................................................................................................10 

Mode share ........................................................................................................................11 

Road traffic casualties........................................................................................................11 

Bus service reliability..........................................................................................................11 

CO 2 emissions ...................................................................................................................11 

Asset condition...................................................................................................................11 

ASSESSING THE STRATEGY’S IMPACTS.........................................................................................11 

CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11 

ISLINGTON’S TRANSPORT CONTEXT ........................................................................................12 

ISLINGTON – THE PLACE ..............................................................................................................12 

Land use in Islington ..........................................................................................................12 

Islington’s Key Strategic Areas ..........................................................................................14 

Islington as part of London and south-east England..........................................................14 

ISLINGTON – THE PEOPLE............................................................................................................15 

Housing profile ...................................................................................................................16 

Social exclusion and deprivation........................................................................................17 

Health and disability...........................................................................................................19 

ISLINGTON’S ECONOMY ...............................................................................................................20 

ISLINGTON’S TRANSPORT NETWORK ............................................................................................22 

Road network congestion...................................................................................................22 

Road safety........................................................................................................................24 

Road network classification................................................................................................27 

Public transport network.....................................................................................................28 

Public transport network congestion ..................................................................................30 

Route 812 Hail-and-Ride bus service ................................................................................34 

Islington’s car club..............................................................................................................36 

Cycling ...............................................................................................................................36 

Transport-related crime......................................................................................................36 

Noise, vibration, air pollution and climate change..............................................................37 

ISLINGTON’S TRANSPORT CHALLENGES, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES..............................40 

ISLINGTON’S TRANSPORT CHALLENGES........................................................................................40 

ISLINGTON’S TRANSPORT OBJECTIVES .........................................................................................41 

ISLINGTON’S TRANSPORT OBJECTIVES SUPPORTING THE MAYOR’S TRANSPORT STRATEGY...........41

Islington’s Transport Strategy Local Implementation Plan 2011 to 2031 

MTS Goal 1: Economic development and population growth ............................................41 

MTS Goal 2: Quality of life .................................................................................................42 

MTS Goal 3: Safety and security .......................................................................................43 

MTS Goal 4: Transport opportunities for all Londoners .....................................................44 

MTS Goal 5: Climate change.............................................................................................44 

ISLINGTON’S BOROUGH TRANSPORT OBJECTIVES SUPPORTING SUB-REGIONAL TRANSPORT PLANS 45 

North London Sub-regional Challenges.............................................................................47 

Central London Sub-regional challenges...........................................................................47 

ISLINGTON’S TRANSPORT OBJECTIVES SUPPORTING ISLINGTON’S CORE STRATEGY AND 

SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY STRATEGY..................................................................................48 

ISLINGTON’S HIGHWAY ASSET MANAGEMENT PLAN (HAMP) AND NETWORK MANAGEMENT DUTY 

(NMD 51 

KEY TRANSPORT POLICIES ..........................................................................................................52 

ASSESSING THE IMPACTS OF THE STRATEGY................................................................................55 

TRANSPORT AND REGENERATION............................................................................................56 

ARCHWAY DISTRICT TOWN CENTRE ............................................................................................56 

Considerations and opportunities.......................................................................................56 

Area-specific transport challenges.....................................................................................58 

Committed and potential transport investment...................................................................58 

FINSBURY PARK DISTRICT TOWN CENTRE ...................................................................................59 




NAG’S HEAD TOWN CENTRE AND UPPER HOLLOWAY ROAD .........................................................61 


Area-specific transport investment challenges...................................................................62 


HIGHBURY CORNER AND LOWER HOLLOWAY ROAD .....................................................................63 




ANGEL TOWN CENTRE AND UPPER STREET.................................................................................65 



Committed and potential investment..................................................................................67 

KING’S CROSS............................................................................................................................67 




BUNHILL AND CLERKENWELL .......................................................................................................69 



Committed and potential investment..................................................................................71 

DELIVERING LOCAL TRANSPORT IMPROVEMENTS ................................................................72 

POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCES....................................................................................................72 

Transport for London (TfL) LIP funding..............................................................................72 

Council capital funding.......................................................................................................73 

Developers contributions (S106)........................................................................................73 

Sustrans grant funding.......................................................................................................73 

Growth Area Funding.........................................................................................................73 

Transport for London (TfL) Major Schemes funding ..........................................................73 

Transport for London (TfL) LIP maintenance funding ........................................................74 

SELECTING AND PRIORITISING LOCAL TRANSPORT INTERVENTIONS ...............................................74 

LINKS BETWEEN OBJECTIVES AND INTERVENTIONS .......................................................................75 

‘Better Streets’ schemes ....................................................................................................75 

London Borough of Islington March 2012


Road safety improvements ................................................................................................75 

Interchange improvements.................................................................................................75 

Smarter travel measures....................................................................................................75 

Transport for London Major Schemes................................................................................76 

PROGRAMME OF INVESTMENT .....................................................................................................77 

ARCHWAY ONE-WAY SYSTEM AND PUBLIC REALM IMPROVEMENTS ................................................80 

The one-way system..........................................................................................................80 

Short and medium-term measures.....................................................................................80 

FINSBURY PARK SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEME...............................................................81 

HIGHBURY CORNER ONE-WAY SYSTEM AND HIGHBURY & ISLINGTON STATION...............................81 

London Rail Overground improvements ............................................................................81 

London Underground station ticket hall upgrade and new station façade .........................82 

Highbury & Islington station square improvements............................................................82 

The one-way system and urban realm improvements .......................................................82 

London Underground step-free access and congestion relief............................................83 

KING’S CROSS AND CALEDONIAN ROAD SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEME............................83 

OLD STREET...............................................................................................................................83 

HORNSEY ROAD SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEME ..............................................................83 

CONNECT2 ROUTE .....................................................................................................................84 

BOROUGH-WIDE ROAD SAFETY SCHEMES.....................................................................................85 

SCOOTABILITY ............................................................................................................................85 

ROUTE 812 HAIL-AND-RIDE.........................................................................................................85 

SMARTER TRAVEL.......................................................................................................................85 

Cycle training .....................................................................................................................86 

Road safety education .......................................................................................................86 

School travel plans.............................................................................................................86 

PRINCIPAL ROAD MAINTENANCE...................................................................................................86 

SCHEMES SUBMITTED FOR TRANSPORT FOR LONDON MAJOR SCHEMES FUNDING ........................86 

Major Scheme: Highbury Corner gyratory..........................................................................87 

Major Scheme: Archway gyratory and public realm improvements ...................................88 

Major Scheme: Old Street roundabout...............................................................................88 

SECTION 106-FUNDED SCHEMES.................................................................................................89 

DELIVERING THE MAYOR’S HIGH PRIORITY OUTPUTS ...................................................................89 

Cycle parking .....................................................................................................................89 

Cycle Superhighways.........................................................................................................90 

Electric vehicle charging points..........................................................................................90 

Better Streets .....................................................................................................................91 

Cleaner local authority fleet................................................................................................91 

Street trees ........................................................................................................................91 

RISK MANAGEMENT AND MITIGATION...........................................................................................92 

CONSULTATION...........................................................................................................................94 

PERFORMANCE MONITORING PLAN..........................................................................................95 

MODE SHARE .............................................................................................................................96 

Mode share for walking......................................................................................................96 

Mode share for cycling.......................................................................................................98 

ROAD TRAFFIC CASUALTIES......................................................................................................100 

Total killed and seriously injured (KSI).............................................................................100 

Total casualties ................................................................................................................102 

ASSET CONDITION (HIGHWAYS) .................................................................................................104 

CO 2 EMISSIONS EMANATING FROM GROUND-BASED TRANSPORT.................................................106 

BUS SERVICE RELIABILITY.........................................................................................................108 



List of tables 

TABLE 1: PROPORTION OF LAND IN ISLINGTON BY USE..............................................................12 

TABLE 2: ISLINGTON’S KEY POPULATION FIGURES ....................................................................16 

TABLE 3: MODE SHARE BY BOROUGH OF ORIGIN, TRIPS PER DAY PER MODE SHARE...................22 

TABLE 4: CAR OWNERSHIP PER HOUSEHOLD............................................................................23 

TABLE 5: CAR DENSITY PER HECTARE......................................................................................23 

TABLE 6: NUMBER OF ROAD TRAFFIC CASUALTIES AND CHANGE OVER TIME ..............................25 

TABLE 7: CARRIAGEWAY HIERARCHY.......................................................................................27 

TABLE 8: FOOTWAY HIERARCHY ..............................................................................................27 

TABLE 9: ISLINGTON’S TRANSPORT OBJECTIVES SUPPORTING THE MAYOR OF LONDON’S 

TRANSPORT STRATEGY AND THE LONDON PLAN ...................................................................45 

TABLE 10: TRANSPORT OBJECTIVES MATRIX – SUB-REGIONAL TRANSPORT PLAN CHALLENGES....46 

TABLE 11: TRANSPORT OBJECTIVES MATRIX: CORE STRATEGY OBJECTIVES...............................49 

TABLE 12: TRANSPORT OBJECTIVES MATRIX: ISLINGTON’S SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY STRATEGY50 

TABLE 13: ISLINGTON’S TRANSPORT POLICIES ...........................................................................52 

TABLE 14: POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCES .................................................................................72 

TABLE 15: HOW INTERVENTIONS CONTRIBUTE TO ISLINGTON’S TRANSPORT OBJECTIVES.............76 

TABLE 16: ISLINGTON COUNCIL’S PROGRAMME OF INVESTMENT, 2011/12 TO 2013/14 ................78 

TABLE 17: RISKS AND MITIGATION MEASURES............................................................................93 

List of figures 

FIGURE 1: LAND USES IN ISLINGTON..........................................................................................13 

FIGURE 2: ISLINGTON’S HOUSING PROFILE.................................................................................17 

FIGURE 3: ISLINGTON’S SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE..............................................................18 

FIGURE 4: ISLINGTON’S AGE AND GENDER PROFILE....................................................................21 

FIGURE 5: ROAD TRAFFIC CASUALTIES AND DEPRIVATION IN ISLINGTON......................................26 

FIGURE 6: ISLINGTON’S PUBLIC TRANSPORT ACCESSIBILITY LEVELS – 2009 ..............................28 

FIGURE 7: ISLINGTON’S PUBLIC TRANSPORT ACCESSIBILITY LEVELS – 2031 SCENARIO ..............29 

FIGURE 8: UNDERGROUND AND DLR CROWDING IN 2006 ..........................................................30 

FIGURE 9: UNDERGROUND AND DLR CROWDING IN 2031 (WITH PLANNED AND FUNDED 

IMPROVEMENTS) ..................................................................................................................31 

FIGURE 10: RAIL CROWDING IN 2006 ..........................................................................................32 

FIGURE 11: RAIL CROWDING IN 2031 (WITH PLANNED AND FUNDED IMPROVEMENTS) ....................33 

FIGURE 12: ROUTE 812 HAIL-AND-RIDE BUS SERVICE .................................................................35 

FIGURE 13: THEFT OF MOTOR VEHICLES IN LONDON ....................................................................37 

FIGURE 14: NITROGEN DIOXIDE (NO 2 ) CONCENTRATIONS ACROSS GREATER LONDON..................38 

Appendices 

Appendix A: Three-year LIP Delivery Plan (2011/12 to 2013/14) 

Appendix B: Locally Specific Targets for Mandatory Indicators 

Appendix C: Strategic Environmental Assessment 

Appendix D: SEA Scoping Report 

Appendix E: Equality Impact Assessment 

Appendix F: Islington’s Sustainable Modes of Travel Strategy 

Appendix G Delivering the Mayor’s High Priority Outputs 

Appendix H Consultation Responses 



1.0 Executive Summary 

1.1 This document is Islington’s Transport Strategy and Local Implementation Plan (LIP). It sets 

out the council’s transport objectives, policies, and programmes for the period from 2011 

onwards, and describes how the council will contribute towards the delivery of the Mayor of 

London’s Transport Strategy. 

Islington’s key transport challenges 

1.2 Islington is one of the most economically successful and dynamic places in London, and is a 

very desirable place to live, work and do business. As a result, it is experiencing rapid 

population and employment growth. Islington’s residential population was 189,665 in 2006 

and is expected to reach 211,946 by 2011 (an 11.7 % increase compared to 2006), with 

further growth projected to 256,146 by 2031 (a 35% increase from 2006). (Source: Greater 

London Authority, 2010) 

1.3 Despite the recession, employment within Islington has also continued to grow strongly. 

There were 161,000 jobs in Islington in April 2008, and over 176,000 in April 2010, nearly a 

10% increase in two years. The number of jobs in Islington is expected to reach 237,300 by 

the end of 2031. 

1.4 However, Islington is not simply a dynamic and economically successful place. It is also 

highly socially polarised, with some of the poorest and richest people in Britain living side by 

side. This inequality is reflected in people’s mobility and access to opportunities. There are 

people in Islington who are extremely mobile and who will fly all over the world for work and 

leisure, but there are also people with extremely low mobility who rarely leave their 

neighbourhood, or indeed their home, and who struggle to access even local services and 

facilities. 

1.5 These twin challenges of growth and inequality manifest themselves in the physical 

character of the borough where there are a number of key places that are not only in need 

of regeneration, but which, with the right investment, have the capacity to support growth. 

These places are identified in the council’s Core Strategy (a key part of its spatial plan), and 

include: Archway, Finsbury Park, Nag’s Head / Holloway Road, King’s Cross, and Bunhill / 

Clerkenwell. Other parts of the borough are relatively economically successful but require 

investment to support growth. These areas include Highbury Corner and Angel / Upper 

Street. 

1.6 The council’s housing policies also address the twin challenges of growth and inequality. 

With thousands of households on the council’s social housing waiting list, there is an intense 

need for new housing in the borough, particularly affordable housing. The council is 

committed to delivering 11,600 new homes in the period between 2011 and 2021, and to 

ensuring that 50 % of these homes are affordable. 

1.7 The council’s key transport challenge is therefore to provide the additional transport capacity 

that is needed to support its housing objectives and deliver economic recovery, regeneration 

and growth. At the same time, the council must ensure that Islington’s poorest places and 

people benefit from investment in the transport system, and are able to benefit from the 

opportunities that will be delivered through economic recovery, regeneration and growth. 

London Borough of Islington 6 March 2012


The challenge of growth 

1.8 The borough’s desirability and central location have brought both population and 

employment growth and this growth is expected to continue. However Islington is a small 

and densely developed borough and growth therefore presents a number of challenges for 

the transport network in the borough. Islington’s public transport network is already very 

crowded. According to Transport for London, all London Underground lines and many 

National Rail services through the borough are ‘crowded’ or ‘very crowded’ and this is 

equally true of most local bus services. Islington also suffers from some of the highest levels 

of road network congestion and parking stress in London, as well as high volumes of 

through traffic. 

1.9 Population and employment growth must be supported through continued investment in the 

public transport network to increase capacity, reliability, and connectivity within Islington 

and beyond, and to ensure that the network is accessible to everyone who wants to use it. 

Although the Mayor’s Transport Strategy has committed significant levels of rail investment 

that will benefit Islington, Transport for London admits that crowding on London 

Underground and National Rail services in the borough will actually get worse unless further 

improvements are implemented before 2031. 

1.10 Some larger-scale investment projects that will benefit Islington before 2018 include: 

 

 

 

 

improvements to the London Overground, including station upgrades, new rolling 

stock and the recently opened extension of the East London Line to Highbury & 

Islington station 

a new Crossrail station at Farringdon, creating a direct link from the south of the 

borough to Central London and Heathrow Airport, as well as to East London and 

Essex 

major upgrade of the Thameslink rail line through Finsbury Park and Farringdon to 

improve connectivity with Central London and the North 

increased Underground capacity and station accessibility on the Northern, Victoria 

and Piccadilly lines 

1.11 Further investment is being considered by the Mayor of London and the Government for the 

period after 2018. This includes: 

 

 

 

‘Crossrail 2’, or the ‘Chelsea to Hackney Line’, potentially linking Victoria station to 

Hackney Central via King’s Cross, Angel and Essex Road stations, thus relieving 

crowding on the Victoria and Piccadilly lines 

‘High Speed 2’, connecting London to the Midlands and beyond from Euston station 

just west of the borough boundary 

DLR extension from Bank station to Euston station via Barbican station, a new 

Clerkenwell station and St Pancras – this will support the proposals for High Speed 

2 by providing extra capacity to serve Euston 

1.12 The council will continue to make the case for further rail investment in the borough whilst at 

the same time ensuring that any potential social and environmental impacts on the local 

community are addressed. 



1.13 People in Islington tend to make shorter journeys than Londoners in general and make 

many more journeys by bus, bike and on foot. The densely developed and diverse nature of 

the borough means that residents, businesses and visitors enjoy relatively convenient 

access to local shops, businesses and services. This makes cheaper and more local forms 

of travel such as buses, walking and cycling an option for many people. As rail investment 

fails to keep pace with social and economic growth in the borough, the council will 

encourage more journeys to be made by bus, on foot and by bike. 

The challenge of fairness 

1.14 Poorer residents often cannot afford a car, which is reflected in the low levels of car 

ownership in deprived areas of Islington. This is compounded by the fact that the poorest 

parts of the borough, particularly large social housing estates, also have the lowest levels of 

access to public transport services. 

1.15 Islington’s poorest residents also suffer disproportionately from the negative health and 

environmental impacts of transport, such as noise and air pollution, contributing to illnesses 

such as respiratory and heart disease, stress and ultimately shorter life expectancy. Road 

safety is also worse in areas of high deprivation where road traffic casualties are more 

frequent, putting poorer residents and children at a higher risk of being injured or killed in 

road traffic accidents. Transport investment can increase access to opportunities for 

residents of deprived areas by improving personal security, facilitating more affordable 

forms of travel like walking and cycling, and improving local bus services. These measures 

will also help to reduce noise and air pollution in the borough and reduce carbon emissions 

to help tackle climate change. 

The challenge of place 

1.16 Many parts of Islington have particularly suffered from the poor planning and transport 

decisions that were made in the 1960s and ‘70s, and in particular from the introduction of 

one-way traffic systems. These areas include Archway, Finsbury Park, King’s Cross, Nag’s 

Head, Old Street and Highbury Corner. In these places, the circulation of traffic has been 

given priority to the detriment of pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users. This has 

severed local communities and made these areas less attractive places to shop, work and 

do business. Removal of these one-way systems is therefore a key priority for the council. 

1.17 Some of the large social housing estates in the borough also suffer from poor design and 

layout. As a consequence, it can be difficult for local people to find their way through the 

estates, access to local bus services is often poor, and areas can often feel unsafe 

particularly at night. The council will seek to address these issues as estate renewal and 

regeneration schemes take place. 

1.18 The council also wants to support local shopping areas by improving access on foot and by 

bike, and by upgrading the quality of the streetscape in these areas. 



Transport objectives 

1.19 To ensure that Islington’s transport challenges are addressed, the objectives of this 

transport strategy are to make Islington’s transport environment: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair – Everyone in the borough will be able to access opportunities and services 

Efficient – Islington’s limited road space and public transport capacity will be 

managed to reduce crowding, congestion and unreliability 

Safe – Road dangers will be minimised, ensuring that fewer people are injured or 

killed on Islington’s streets 

Secure – Crime and the fear of crime will be reduced on Islington’s streets, housing 

estates and public transport network 

Vibrant – Streetscape and public realm improvements will contribute towards 

regeneration and local economic recovery and growth 

Healthy – More active forms of travel will be encouraged, and the negative impacts 

of travel, especially on Islington’s poorer communities, will be reduced 

Investing in people and places 

1.20 This document sets out the council’s Local Implementation Plan (also known as the LIP) for 

2011 to 2031, with a Delivery Plan for the financial years 2011/12 to 2013/14. This plan 

explains how the council will invest its transport funding over this period. However, at a time 

when money is particularly tight, funding must be targeted towards those people and parts 

of the borough that need it most. For this reason, the council has prioritised investment in 

the poorest parts of the borough. These areas also tend to be those places where accident 

levels are highest. The need to support local shops and businesses through the recession 

has also been recognised, with funding being targeted towards regeneration areas such as 

Archway, King’s Cross and Finsbury Park, and key shopping areas such as Hornsey Road. 

Three-year delivery programme 

1.21 The key schemes in the Delivery Plan for 2001/12 to 2013/14 included in Islington’s 

Transport Strategy to 2031 are: 

 

 

 

Archway pedestrian and public realm improvements 

The council will invest £2.1 million in improving pedestrian crossings and public 

spaces in the Archway town centre. 

King’s Cross and Caledonian Road safety and public realm improvements 

The council will invest £1 million in transport improvements to aid regeneration and 

support local businesses in the wider King’s Cross area. 

Hornsey Road safety and public realm improvements 

The council will invest £1 million in transport improvements to aid regeneration and 

support local shops and businesses in the Hornsey Road area. 

Finsbury Park road safety and public realm improvements/Connect 2 

A new walking and cycling route will connect Finsbury Park and Drayton Park. 

Footway improvements, step-free crossings and upgraded cycle facilities will be 

provided. At the junction of Rock Street and Seven Sisters Road, a new cycle and 

pedestrian crossing will be implemented subject to local public consultation. 

 

Borough-wide road safety schemes 

Islington closely monitors road traffic accidents and casualties. Road Safety funding 



will be directed to specific locations, mainly on principal roads, where there are high 

numbers of road traffic casualties but where other sources of funding are not 

available to address the issues. Possible locations for schemes in 2011/12 include 

the junction of Caledonian Road and Hillmarton Road, and the junction of Old 

Street / Clerkenwell Road and Goswell Road. 

 

 

 

 

 

Scootability 

The council will continue to support a borough-wide scheme to provide mobility 

scooters to older and disabled residents. 

Route 812 Hail-and-Ride service 

The council will continue to provide a local accessible community bus service to fill 

a gap in the mainstream London bus network in the south of the borough. This 

service is largely used by older and mobility-impaired people. 

Cycle training programme 

To encourage people to cycle and to reduce road accidents the council will offer 

cycle training to residents, employees and students based in the borough. 

Road safety education 

The council will continue to deliver a comprehensive range of road safety initiatives 

for various school and community-based organisations in the borough, aimed at 

reducing road traffic casualties. 

School travel plans 

The council will continue to deliver a programme of school travel plans to raise 

awareness of road safety and environmental issues, and to increase the number of 

pupils, parents, teachers and visitors who walk, cycle, use public transport or car 

share to get to and from school. 

Removal of one-way systems 

1.22 As we have seen above, Islington is particularly badly blighted by one-way systems that 

sever neighbourhoods and make movement difficult for pedestrians, cyclists, and public 

transport users. The council will therefore work with Transport for London to remove these 

one-way systems. It is acknowledged that it may take several decades before this ambition 

is fully realised. 

Performance indicators 

1.23 As part of the Local Implementation Plan, progress will be tracked against five mandatory 

performance indicators set by Transport for London, for which the council is required to set 

locally specific targets. Some indicators have multiple targets. Before setting these targets, 

the council has considered the very limited level of funding that will be available, and the fact 

that in Islington these targets will be delivered against a background of population and 

employment growth, and therefore an increase in the number of journeys that are made. 



1.24 Mandatory performance indicators and targets 

Islington’s Transport Strategy sets out the mandatory indicators and their targets: 

Mode share 

Short-term walking target: 41% by 2013/14 (currently 40%) 

Long-term walking target: 43% by 2025/26 

Short-term cycling target: 4% by 2013/14 (currently 3.4%) 

Long-term cycling target: 8% by 2025/26 

Road traffic casualties 

Short term killed and seriously injured target: 21.6% reduction by 2013/14 

(compared to 2006-2008 average) 

Long-term killed and seriously injured target: 38.4% reduction by 2020 (compared 

to 2006-2008 average) 

Short term total casualties target:10.8% reduction by 2013/14 (compared to 2006- 

2008 average) 

Long term total casualties target:26.6% reduction by 2020 (compared to 2006-2008 

average) 

Bus service reliability 

To maintain Excess Waiting Time (EWT) at 1.2 minutes through to 2017/18 

CO 2 emissions 

Short-term target: reduce CO 2 emissions from ground-based transport by 16.3% 

(compared to 2008 emissions) 

Long-term target: CO 2 emissions from ground-based transport by 45.3% (compared 

to 2008 emissions) 

Asset condition 

Short-term target: to keep 10% or less of BPRN carriageway below a score of 70 in 

the UKPMS survey in 2013 

Long-term target: to keep 5% or less of BPRN carriageway below a score of 70 in 

the UKPMS survey in 2025 

Assessing the strategy’s impacts 

1.25 This strategy has been informed by a Strategic Environmental Assessment and Equality 

Impact Assessment. Health impacts have been assessed as part of the Strategic 

Environmental Impact Assessment. 

Conclusion 

1.26 The council faces intense transport challenges both in supporting rapid growth and in 

tackling extreme inequality. This draft Transport Strategy sets out what the council will do to 

meet these challenges. The strategy is supported by an investment plan for the period 

2011/12 to 2013/14. Funding over this period is extremely limited, and it is therefore vital 

that investment is carefully targeted towards meeting the council’s social and economic 

priorities. Our investment plan therefore focuses resources on supporting regeneration and 

growth in key parts of the borough, and reducing the impact of the transport system on the 

health and well-being of Islington’s poorest residents. 



2.0 Islington’s transport context 

2.1 Islington is one of the most diverse, densely populated and built up local authorities in 

London. This brings specific challenges but also opportunities in terms of how people travel. 

This section sets out Islington’s transport context, including the key demographic, social, 

economic and physical factors, and potential future changes that will determine future 

demands for transport in Islington. This context helps to explain Islington’s transport 

challenges and transport objectives, as set out in the following section, as well as the 

prioritisation of local transport improvements set out later in this strategy. 

Islington – the place 

2.2 Islington is about six square miles in area, and stretches from the City of London in the 

south, along Holloway Road to Archway and the borders of Haringey and Camden to the 

north and west, and Hackney to the east. Partly owing to this central London location, 

Islington is a borough of great diversity. All across Islington, from the busy, multi-cultural 

cafes and shops of Finsbury Park, to the office buildings and historic streets of Bunhill and 

Clerkenwell, there are areas of very considerable wealth adjacent to some of the country’s 

most deprived neighbourhoods. This inequality is fundamental to almost all of the 

challenges the council faces. 

Land use in Islington 

2.3 Islington is a very densely developed borough – the second most densely developed 

borough in the country. There is very little vacant land and very little open space, while land 

used for transport-related purposes (including footways, roads and rail corridors) takes up 

over a quarter of the borough’s area. See Table 1 for a full breakdown of the proportion of 

the borough dedicated to various land uses, and Figure 1 for a map showing land uses 

across the borough. 

Table 1: 

Proportion of land in Islington by use 

Land use 

Percentage 

Transport 26.5 

Residential 45 

Employment 13.5 

Recreation and leisure 7 

Community, health and education services 6.6 

Other 1.4 

Source: London Borough of Islington (2010) 

2.4 Less than 7% of the land in Islington is open space. This lack of open space makes 

Islington’s streets and public spaces even more important to the quality of life of its 

residents. The challenge for the council is to make the most of the borough’s existing streets 

and public spaces, and to create new public spaces where possible, using the limited funds 

currently available. Ongoing projects at Highbury Corner and Archway are evidence of the 

council’s commitment to addressing this challenge. 



Figure 1: 

Land uses in Islington 

Source: London Borough of Islington (2010) 



2.5 More than a quarter of the land in Islington is used for transport-related purposes. The 

transport infrastructure that occupies such a large proportion of the borough ensures that 

Islington is relatively well connected to the rest of London and beyond. However, this same 

infrastructure can create significant physical and psychological barriers to people cycling or 

walking. In turn, this can reduce the number of people accessing local services and facilities, 

and result in streets feeling cut off and less secure. The challenge is for the council to 

ensure that as major transport infrastructure is developed to enhance connectivity within 

London and beyond, local connectivity and safety for pedestrians and cyclists is maintained 

and enhanced. 

Islington’s Key Strategic Areas 

2.6 The council will need to carefully manage future growth in order to promote regeneration 

and opportunity for all, whilst protecting the local environment and retaining the positive 

aspects of Islington’s diversity. The Core Strategy of Islington’s spatial plan, the Local 

Development Framework (LDF), sets out how the council will use its planning powers to 

successfully manage the borough’s future growth. The Core Strategy sets out the borough’s 

overarching planning policies, and identifies the key strategic areas of Islington, which are: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Archway 

Finsbury Park 

Nag’s Head and Upper Holloway Road 

Holloway Road and Highbury Corner 

Angel and Upper Street 

King’s Cross 

Bunhill and Clerkenwell 

2.7 Over the next fifteen years, growth in Islington will be focused in these key strategic areas, 

and will have major implications for Islington’s already congested transport network (see the 

section on ‘Islington’s transport network’ for more details). In some of the key strategic 

areas, significant transport investment is already committed, but further investment will be 

needed to support the population and employment growth that Islington is seeking to 

accommodate. The specific challenges in each of these strategic areas are set out in more 

detail in the section on ‘Islington’s transport geography’. 

Islington as part of London and south-east England 

2.8 Outside of Islington’s key strategic areas, growth in Islington is likely to be of an incremental 

nature and is unlikely to result in substantial change to the character of the area. However, 

the character of some areas in neighbouring boroughs accessed by Islington residents is 

likely to change. In these areas, future growth beyond Islington’s boundary is likely to have 

an impact on adjacent parts of Islington, leading to additional benefits and services for 

Islington’s residents along with potential negative impacts such as increased traffic volumes, 

traffic congestion and air pollution. 

2.9 The London Plan identifies main areas of growth, ‘Areas for Intensification’, just beyond 

Islington’s boundary or straddling Islington’s boundary: 

 

 

 

Farringdon/Smithfield (Islington/City of London) 

Holborn (Camden/City of London) 

Haringey Heartlands (Haringey) 



2.10 The London Plan also identifies ‘Opportunity Areas’ that are capable of accommodating 

substantial new jobs or homes. Locations include: 

 

 

 

 

King’s Cross (Camden and Islington) 

Euston (Camden) 

Tottenham Court Road (Camden) 

City Fringe (parts of Islington, City of London, Hackney and Tower Hamlets) 

2.11 London Plan ‘Opportunity Areas’ that are further away but potentially still can have major 

impacts due to their scale and/or transport links with Islington include: 

 

 

 

 

Upper Lea Valley (Enfield, Haringey and Waltham Forest) 

Stratford (Newham) 

Ilford (Redbridge) 

Lower Lea valley (Hackney) 

2.12 As well as the change that growth will bring to land use in Islington and neighbouring 

boroughs, there will also be major growth and change throughout London and the southeast 

that will affect Islington, and particularly Islington’s transport network. Changes in the 

Thames Gateway to the east and the M11 corridor to the north-east could be expected to 

have a significant effect. The Olympic site to the east of Islington will also have an impact. 

London's biggest rail project, Crossrail, will bring new services to Islington. The council also 

believes that the role of Finsbury Park as a strategic interchange and growth point is likely to 

increase, reflecting its key position as a gateway to the North East. 

2.13 Overall, the current land use characteristics of Islington and the changes expected over the 

coming decades will have a significant effect on how we plan and deliver transport 

improvements in the borough. The challenge remains for the council, and the other 

authorities in London and the south-east as a whole, to carefully guide land use change in 

order to manage the negative impacts and capitalise on the positive impacts of expected 

population and economic growth on local residents, businesses and the environment. 

Islington – the people 

2.14 As detailed in Table 2, Islington’s population has been growing steadily since the 1990s and 

is expected to keep growing beyond 2031, with an estimated population growth of 35.5% 

between 2006 and 2031. The projected population growth will result in a higher density of 

homes and people within the borough. This expected level of population growth will place 

additional pressure on Islington’s already highly-congested transport network. 

2.15 For Islington’s transport network to be able to cope with predicted future population and 

economic growth, and to ensure that Islington remains a highly-desirable place to live, visit, 

work or do business, investment must be made to increase the capacity and accessibility of 

Islington’s transport network. In particular, rail and Underground stations must be upgraded, 

with increased connectivity between different modes of transport, in particular affordable and 

less-polluting modes such as walking and cycling. 



Table 2: 

Islington’s key population figures 

Year 

Population 

2001 179,857 

2006 189,665 

2011 211,946 

2016 227,042 

2021 237,440 

2031 256,146 

Estimated growth in population – 

2006-2031: 

35.5% 

Current number of housing units per hectare²: 55.5 

Population density (residents per hectare)²ª: 129.16 

Source: Greater London Authority2010 

²ª Office for National statistics: June 2010 

(on an area of 1,485 hectares – residential population 191,800) 

²Islington Borough Profile: Housing (chapter 5), Islington Council, 2008 

Housing profile 

2.16 Household income has an affect on how people travel, and how much they travel. Income 

also has some effect on whether people own or rent their home. This appears to be the case 

in Islington. There is a relatively high proportion of people living on low incomes in Islington, 

and there is also a relatively low number of people – 32% – that own and occupy their own 

home. This figure is low when compared to 56.4% in London and 68.2% in Great Britain 

(Office of National Statistics 2001). 

2.17 Figure 2 below shows that 44% of Islington’s population live in social-rented housing, with 

either the council or a housing association as landlord, while the remaining 24% of residents 

live in privately-rented housing. In general, Islington’s privately-rented households 

accommodate young and economically active individuals who travel easily and often. By 

contrast, people living on low incomes tend to travel less and have lower levels of access to 

public and private. See figure 6 for Public Transport Accessibility Levels (PTAL). 



Figure 2: 

Islington’s housing profile 

24% 

44% 

32% 

Social tenant Owner occupier Private renting 

Source: Local Housing Needs Assessment, Fordham Research for Islington Council, 2008 

The London Area Transport Survey (2001) found that household size is also an important 

factor in determining travel demand. According to the survey, people living in smaller 

households generally make more trips than people living in larger households. This has 

significant implications for Islington’s transport network, as the borough has the sixth lowest 

average household size of all local authorities in the country. Islington averages 2.09 

persons per household compared with the national figure of 2.36 persons per household 

(Office of National Statistics 2001). Islington also has a very high proportion of single-person 

households. As of the last Census, 32.4% of Islington’s working age population were living 

alone, compared to 22.0% of London’s and only 15.6% of England and Wales’s (Office for 

National Statistics 2001). 

Social exclusion and deprivation 

Islington is not simply a dynamic and economically-successful place. It is also highly 

socially-polarised, with some of the poorest and richest people in Britain living side by side. 

This inequality is reflected in people’s mobility and access to opportunities. There are people 

in Islington who are extremely mobile and who will fly all over the world for work and leisure, 

but there are also people with extremely low mobility who rarely leave their neighbourhood, 

or indeed their home, and who struggle to access even local services and facilities. This 

social polarisation is well demonstrated by Mosaic data. 



2.18 Mosaic is a socio-demographic classification tool. Nationally, there are 15 mosaic groupings 

into which all households in the country are categorised. They are very broad 

generalisations, but in Islington two groups account for over 90% of the population, as 

shown in Figure 3. Nearly half of all households in Islington (48%) are categorised as 

‘young, well-educated city dwellers’ (Mosaic group G), while a similar proportion (45%) are 

described as ‘people renting in high-density social housing’ (Mosaic group N). 

Figure 3: 

Islington’s socio-demographic profile 

3% 

1% 

3% 

45% 

48% 

Group C 

Group G 

Group N 

Group I 

Others 

Source: Mosaic Public Sector Interactive Guide, Experian, 2009 

2.19 According to the Mosaic data, most people categorised as belonging to group G (‘young, 

well-educated city dwellers’) hold a university qualification. They have lower than average 

rates of unemployment and social deprivation, and commonly establish permanent 

partnerships and bear children at a later age than the national average. A high proportion of 

residents in the borough categorised as group G means that there is a significant population 

of young, childless, single people. These people tend to be extremely mobile and make a 

high number of trips. 

2.20 By contrast, most people categorised as belonging to Group N (‘people renting in highdensity 

social housing’) are on limited incomes. They are mostly renting small flats from 

local councils or housing associations, and are often suffer from high levels of 

unemployment and sickness. A high proportion of residents in the borough categorised as 

group N means that there is a significant population of unemployed, relatively unqualified 

people on low incomes. As touched on above, these people often suffer from low levels of 

mobility. 



2.21 The level of the deprivation suffered by some of the borough’s residents is best 

demonstrated by Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) data gathered via the Census. The 

most recent Index of Multiple Deprivation data from 2010 shows that in spite of the 

borough’s economic success overall, and the many wealthy residents attracted to the 

borough,, the deprivation in some parts of Islington is such that it still registers the fourteenth 

most deprived local authority in England. 

2.22 In order to facilitate analysis at a more detailed level than ward boundaries, Census data 

can be broken down into small areas called ‘Super-output areas’. Analysis of the Index of 

Multiple Deprivation data at this level shows that 62% of Islington residents live in an area of 

the borough ranked amongst the most deprived 10% of ‘super-output areas’ in the country. 

2.23 Deprivation is often reflected in people’s health and mobility. Islington’s poorest residents 

also suffer disproportionately from the negative health and environmental impacts of 

transport, such as noise and air pollution, contributing to illnesses such as respiratory 

disease, stress and ultimately shorter life expectancy. 

2.24 Road traffic casualties are more frequent in areas of high deprivation, putting poorer 

residents and children at higher risk of being injured or killed in road traffic incidents. Figure 

5 shows levels of deprivation for ‘super-output areas’ in Islington, overlaid with the locations 

of people killed or seriously injured, showing that many incidents happen on principal roads, 

and that in general, there are more road traffic accidents near these locations of high 

deprivation. 

2.25 Roads and other transport infrastructure, and the overall layout of an urban area, can act as 

barriers to people accessing opportunities. This can especially be the case for people living 

in social housing, such as those who live on large housing estates with low levels of access 

to public transport. Often there are limited or no public transport options within the estate 

and the layout of an estate can means residents have to walk relatively far to leave the 

estate via an indirect walking route. Main roads often border estates, creating a further 

barrier to accessibility. Figure 6 shows a map of Islington’s ‘Public Transport Accessibility 

Levels’ (PTALs). This figure illustrates that areas with the lowest accessibility levels often 

coincide with areas of high deprivation. 

Health and disability 

2.26 Health and disability are important factors in people’s mobility, and their ability to use 

Islington’s transport network. Transport also suffers negative health and environmental 

impacts such as noise and air pollution that contribute towards illnesses like respiratory 

disease, stress, and ultimately a shorter life expectancy. Social housing is often 

concentrated near main roads, which means its residents are exposed to relatively high 

levels of noise and air pollution. 

2.27 Inadequacies in the transport network can make it more difficult for disabled people to get 

around. In Islington, there is a substantial proportion of the population who have visible or 

invisible disabilities, or mobility difficulties affecting their ability to travel around the borough 

and beyond. Over 15% of Islington’s working age population have a limiting long-term 

illness. This compares to a figure of less than 12% in Greater London and 14% across the 

UK (Office for National Statistics, 2001). 

2.28 Mobility difficulties tend to increase with age. London-wide, less then 4% of people under 

the age of 45 have a transport-related illness or disability, or in other words an illness or 

disability influencing their ability to travel or transport requirements. This percentage rises to 

11% of those aged between 45 and 59, and rises dramatically to 29% of people over the 

age of 60. 



2.29 In addition to meeting the needs of people with long-term illness or disability, an accessible 

transport network must also take into consideration people who have mobility difficulties 

such as injuries, prams or carrying large objects. There are therefore always significant 

proportions of the population experiencing mobility challenges. This highlights the need for 

an inclusive and accessible transport network in Islington. 

Islington’s economy 

2.30 Islington is home to substantial employment and entertainment spaces. However, 

employment space is not evenly distributed throughout the borough. There are two major 

town centres in Islington (the Nag’s Head and the Angel), and two district town centres 

(Finsbury Park and Archway), as well as numerous other local shopping areas such as 

Caledonian Road, Essex Road, Amwell Street and Highbury Barn. The Angel and Upper 

Street area, Clerkenwell and Farringdon are all centres for Islington’s evening and night-time 

economy, which includes internationally renowned theatres as well as bars and nightclubs. 

Street markets are another well-known feature of the borough, such as those at Exmouth 

Market, Whitecross Street and Chapel Market. 

2.31 Despite having one of the highest job densities in the country (2.19 jobs per working age 

resident), Islington has high levels of economic inactivity and unemployment. Islington’s 

Sustainable Community Strategy (2008) notes that employment growth has been largely 

met by workers coming into the borough – within the 25 to 44 age group, more than twice as 

many people come into Islington to work than those travelling out of the borough for work. 

Despite local unemployment falling in percentage terms in recent years, 35.3% of the female 

working age population remains economically inactive, and 20.9% of males. Unemployment 

and worklessness is considered to be a fundamental reason for the high levels of poverty 

experienced by many of the borough’s residents. 

2.32 A very high proportion of Islington residents are of working age. Figure 4 below, shows that 

a lot of Islington residents are aged between 16 and 75 years of age, and in particular 

between 20 and 35 years of age. Overall, around 73% of Islington residents are of working 

age. This compares to 67% in London and just over 62% nationally. This has significant 

implications for the transport network as, in general, people of working age make more trips 

per person than those not of working age. 



2.33 Figure 4: Islington’s age and gender profile 

Mid-2009 Population Estimates: All ages and sex for Islington, ONS 2010 

90+ 

85 

80 

75 

70 

65 

60 

Female 

Male 

Age (years) 

55 

50 

45 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

0 

3,000 2,000 1,000 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 

Population count 

Source: Office for National Statistics (w ebsite: w w w .statistics.gov.uk),Crow n copyright material is 

reproduced w ith the permission of the Controller Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) 

Source: Office for National Statistics (2010) 

2.34 The number of jobs in Islington has risen significantly since 1991, and in spite of the high 

proportion of people of working age in Islington, there are now more jobs in Islington than 

there are people to fill them. The largest sector is Business, followed by jobs in Public 

Administration, Education and Health. The increases in jobs have been filled largely by 

people coming into the borough to work – this ‘in-flow’ exceeds the ‘out-flow’ of residents 

travelling out of the borough to work. 

2.35 The challenge for the council is to support the continued development of a strong and 

diverse local economy with a focus on expanding job opportunities and helping residents 

improve their skill base in order to compete effectively for jobs. The council will need to 

ensure that the transport network allows for everyone to access these employment 

opportunities regardless of their circumstances. 

2.36 Islington’s transport network is already under pressure from the borough’s current level of 

economic activity, particularly during the morning and evening peak periods for commuting. 

The projected growth in population and employment will put further pressure on the 

transport network, not just because of increased commuting but also because of an increase 

demand for shopping, leisure and other services associated with increased population and 



economic activity. The transport network will therefore also get busier throughout the day 

and not just during peak commute hours. 

Islington’s transport network 

2.37 Islington has a very dense and complex transport network. It is heavily used by local 

residents and businesses, as well as visitors to the borough and people passing through the 

borough on their way into and out of Central London. As a result, both the road and public 

transport networks in Islington are very crowded. 

2.38 A shift towards walking, cycling and car clubs will help to make more efficient use of the 

available space on the road network, and will relieve some of the crowding on the public 

transport network. The diversity and density of development of Islington means that there 

are significant opportunities to encourage more people to walk and cycle more. Walking and 

cycling are already popular ways to get around in Islington (as shown in Table 3 below). A 

further shift towards these modes will provide more people with affordable transport choices 

and lead to major benefits for the transport system, the economy and public health. 

2.39 The most recent data available shows that Islington’s residents make 456,000 trips per day 

on average. This equates to 2.6 trips per person per day. The average trip length (in terms 

of straight line travel) is 12.4 kilometres, which matches the inner London average. Trips 

made by Islington residents are slightly shorter than the inner London average trip length 

(12.6 kilometres), but considerably shorter than the London average. This is likely due to 

Islington’s small size, and the fact that trips made to Islington-based services are therefore 

shorter (according to data from the London Travel Demand Survey, 2006/07 to 2008/09). 

2.40 Table 3 presents a current mode share in Islington and compares it with London overall. The 

proportion of Islington residents using public transport and the bus in particular is very high. 

Islington also has relatively high percentages of journeys made on foot or by cycle 

compared to inner London or London as a whole. One reason for this is that Islington is a 

small, relatively flat borough where local facilities can be easily accessed by walking or 

cycling. The overall mode share for cycling for trips starting in Islington is 3.4%. The cycling 

mode share for cycling commuting trips starting in Islington is 5%. 

Table 3: 

Mode share by borough of origin, trips per day per mode share 

Trips 

per day 

(‘000) 

Rail 

(%) 

Underground/ 

DLR (%) 

Bus/ 

Tram 

(%) 

Taxi/ 

other 

(%) 

Car/ 

Motorcycle 

(%) 

Cycle 

(%) 

Walking 

(%) 

Islington 468 4.6 11.1 22.6 1.4 17.1 3.4 39.8 

Inner 

London 

7,398 5.0 12.0 18.0 2.0 26.0 2.0 35.0 

Outer 

London 

10,221 3.0 3.0 12.0 1.0 51.0 1.0 29.0 

London 17,619 4.0 7.0 14.0 1.0 41.0 2.0 31.0 

Source: London Travel Demand Survey, 2006/07 to 2008/09 

Road network congestion 

2.41 The road network in Islington is very crowded. Research into average excess delay on 

Transport for London’s (TfL’s) ‘Network of Interest’ shows that Islington roads have the 4 th 



highest average excess delays in London during the inter-peak, 5 th highest during the AM 

peak and 10 th highest during the PM peak. In terms of average speeds, Islington fares even 

worse with the 3 rd lowest AM peak speed, and the 6 th lowest PM peak speed. 

2.42 It is likely that the road network in Islington would be even more congested were it not for 

the borough’s relatively low level of car ownership. Islington has the second lowest average 

number of cars per household of all local authorities in London. This is in part owing to the 

high proportion of poorer residents in the borough, who often cannot afford a car. In 2001, 

only 42% of households in Islington had a car compared to 63% of households across 

London. Around 6% of Islington households had two cars compared to 16% across London. 

See Table 4 below for more details. 

Table 4: 

Car ownership per household 

No car 

or van 

One car 

or van 

Two cars 

or vans 

Three cars 

or vans 

Four cars 

or vans 

Average 

total cars or 

vans per 

household 

Islington 58% 35% 6% 1% 0% 0.5 

Inner 

London 

Outer 

London 

50% 39% 9% 1% 0% 0.6 

30% 45% 20% 4% 1% 1.0 

London 37% 43% 16% 3% 1% 0.9 


Table 5: 

Car density per hectare 

Islington London England and Wales 

Vehicles per hectare 28.1 16.6 1.6 


2.43 The severe congestion and parking pressures on Islington’s road network are a result of the 

borough’s very high vehicle density combined with vehicle movements originating outside 

but travelling through Islington. The nature of Islington’s housing stock further contributes 

towards these parking pressures, as very few residents have access to off-street parking 

and therefore rely on on-street parking. 

2.44 Although Islington’s car ownership figures were relatively low compared to other London 

local authorities when the 2001 Census was undertaken, it is expected that the percentage 

of Islington households without a car have increased even further over the past decade. 

However, there are no published forecasts of future car ownership in Islington and the 

results of the 2011 Census recently undertaken will not be available until 2012. 

2.45 If current car ownership levels remain steady, expected future population growth would 

mean that the number of cars in Islington would increase significantly, unless something is 

done to manage this growth. Projected increases in the borough’s economic activity could 

also be expected to result in more private vehicles on the borough’s road network. 



2.46 In 2009, the estimated traffic flow for all motor vehicles in Islington was 467 million vehicle 

kilometres, which is the third lowest of all London local authorities. This represents a 

decrease of 4%) compared to 1993, which puts Islington in the top 25 % of London local 

authorities in achieving a reduction in vehicle kilometres. 

2.47 This decrease in traffic flow is in part due to the introduction of the Central London 

Congestion Charge in February 2003. The Congestion Charge has helped to prioritise 

London’s most congested roads for those who most need to drive. It encourages making 

use of other modes of transport and making journeys quicker and more reliable for those 

travelling through the congested area. In Islington, congestion charging covers Bunhill and 

Clerkenwell wards and charges drivers who wish to drive through Central London during the 

scheme’s hours of operation. 

2.48 The Congestion Charge scheme has exceeded its targets for reducing traffic and congestion 

in Central London. In addition, the scheme has improved air quality and increased public 

transport patronage. The scheme was extended with a western zone in 2007, but this 

extension has recently been removed. The Mayor’s own draft Air Quality Strategy estimated 

that the removal of the western congestion charging zone will result in an 11% to 18% 

increase in congestion within the former zone, and a 6% to 12% increase in CO 2 emissions 

per year from land-based transport in London. 

2.49 Allowing traffic congestion and parking pressures in Islington to increase would be harmful 

to local people, businesses and the environment. There is therefore a need to carefully 

manage travel demand to ensure that increased demand for car travel does not detract from 

residents’ health, safety or quality of life, the success of local businesses, or the quality of 

the local environment. 

Road safety 

2.50 Road traffic casualties on Islington’s roads have reduced considerably since 2001, but every 

injury or fatality is one too many. Physical measures such as traffic calming and controlled 

parking zones, as well as road safety education, have contributed towards this reduction in 

casualties. Reducing vehicle speeds is one of the most important measures in reducing the 

number of road traffic casualties. Islington recently implemented a 20 mph speed limit on all 

residential streets in the borough (i.e. every street other than borough principal roads and 

Transport for London Road Network roads). As well as improving road safety, the 20mph 

speed limit aims to improve the quality of life in Islington by reducing vehicle speeds, noise 

and air pollution. 

2.51 Last year Islington implemented a 20 mph speed limit on all residential streets in the 

borough (i.e. every street other than borough principal roads and Transport for London Road 

Network roads). As well as improving road safety, the 20mph speed limit aims to improve 

the quality of life in Islington by reducing vehicle speeds, noise and air pollution. 

2.52 Following the success of the 20mph speed limit on every residential road in Islington, the 

council is now set to extend the 20 mph speed limit to borough-controlled principal roads, 

subject to funding being identified to meet the cost of implementation and any substantial 

objections in relation to Traffic Management Orders. These principal roads include main 

routes such as Essex Road, Caledonian Road, Hornsey Road and Stroud Green Road, but 

the 20 mph speed limit would not apply to roads managed by Transport for London such as 

Holloway Road, Upper Street and Seven Sisters Road. 



2.53 Table 6 below shows the overall decline in the number of people killed or injured on 

Islington’s roads since 2001. Please note that the casualties figures used in Chapter 5 

Performance Monitoring Plan are based on three-year rolling averages rather than the 

actual numbers of casualties as detailed in table 6 below. 

Table 6: 

Number of road traffic casualties and change over time 

2.54 

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Change 

(%) 

Killed or 

seriously 

injured 

227 174 162 101 90 81 112 75 77 81 -64% 

Total 

1,391 1,255 1,132 

casualties 

908 815 736 667 681 811 833 -40% 

Source: London Accident Analysis Unit (2010) 

2.55 The number of casualties broken down by mode shows that 21% of road traffic casualties 

on Islington’s roads were pedestrians, with cyclists making up 22%, motorcyclists 20% and 

car drivers or occupants 29% (London Road Safety Unit, 2006-2008 data). Taking into 

consideration mode share (Table 3, above), it is clear that cyclists are over-represented in 

terms of road traffic casualties, as only 3.4% of journeys are made by cycle but cyclists 

represent almost a quarter of all road traffic casualties. The number of journeys made on 

foot (35%) is far greater than those made by bicycle, but only just over one fifth of all road 

traffic casualties are pedestrians. Because of the fact that pedestrians, cyclists and 

motorcyclists have little protection, they are more vulnerable when involved in a road traffic 

incident. Islington has set short-term and long-term targets to reduce the number of people 

killed or seriously injured in road traffic incidents, and the total number of casualties from 

road traffic incidents. These targets are set out within the ‘Performance Monitoring Plan’ 

later in this strategy. 

2.56 Figure 5 shows that road traffic casualties disproportionately affect areas of deprivation in 

Islington. The map shows that the majority of Islington’s road traffic incidents occur on 

Transport for London Road Network (TLRN) roads, and that the majority of casualties on 

borough-managed roads occur in or near areas of high deprivation. 



Figure 5: 

Road traffic casualties and deprivation in Islington 



Road network classification 

2.57 Islington’s streets are designated in accordance with national codes of practice for 

carriageways and footways, as detailed in Table 7 and Table 8 below. Each road is 

designated according to its use and function for the purpose of informing decision-making 

on the management and operation of Islington’s roads. The details of how these roads and 

footways are treated are set out in the council’s Highway Asset Management Plan (2010). 

Table 7: 

Carriageway hierarchy 

Carriageway hierarchy Kilometres Description 

1 0.00 Motorway (subject to Motorway regulations) 

2 40.13 Strategic route (including TfL Road Network 

and borough principal roads) – trunk roads 

and some principal A roads between primary 

destinations 

3a 9.25 Main distributor – major urban and inter 

primary links with short and medium distance 

traffic 

3b 35.38 Secondary distributor – classified routes (B 

and C) and unclassified bus routes carrying 

local traffic with frontage access and frequent 

junctions 

4a 190.51 Link road – roads linking between the main 

and secondary distributor network with 

frontage access and frequent junctions 

4b 19.44 Local access road – roads serving limited 

numbers of properties, carrying only access 

traffic 

Total 294.72 

Source: Islington’s Highway Asset Management Plan (2010) 

Table 8: 

Footway hierarchy 

Footway hierarchy Kilometres Description 

1(a) 16.22 Prestige walking zone – footways at transport 

interchanges, high streets and employment 

centres with high levels of footfall throughout 

the day 

1 62.84 Primary walking route – strategic walking 

routes and between destinations 

2 89.38 Secondary walking route – alternative walking 

routes between destinations 

3 384.6 Link footways – footways linking primary and 

secondary walking routes 

4 38.88 Local access footways – footways carrying 

only access traffic 

Total 591.92 

Source: Islington’s Highway Asset Management Plan (2010) 



Public transport network 

2.58 Most of Islington is relatively well served by public transport. Figure 6 illustrates Public 

Transport Accessibility Levels (PTAL) in the borough. Dark red and red colours show areas 

with the highest levels of public transport accessibility, and blue colours show areas with the 

lowest levels of public transport accessibility. 

2.59 As already discussed, there is a direct relationship between deprivation and mobility, with 

people living in deprived areas often having lower levels of mobility; low levels of public 

transport accessibility often coincide with areas of high deprivation. 

Figure 6: Islington’s Public Transport Accessibility Levels – 2009 

Source: Transport for London (2010) 



2.60 Figure 7 shows a scenario of how public transport accessibility levels could be in 2031 

based on Transport for London’s committed investment. Overall, public transport 

accessibility levels for Islington are expected to improve by 2031. 

Figure 7: 

Islington’s Public Transport Accessibility Levels – 2031 scenario 

Source: Transport for London (2010) 



Public transport network congestion 

2.61 The public transport network in Islington is very crowded, in particular during peak commute 

hours. In 2003, Transport for London categorised all Underground lines in Islington as 

‘crowded’ or ‘very crowded’. Since then, the congestion picture has only become worse. As 

shown in Figure 8, taken from the Mayor’s Transport Strategy, by 2006 significant sections 

of the network in Islington were at a ‘standing passenger’ density of more than four people 

per square metre. 

Figure 8: Underground and DLR crowding in 2006 

Source: Mayor’s Transport Strategy, May 2010 

2.62 In order to address this crowding and accommodate future growth, a number of major public 

transport improvements are planned, as set out in Transport for London’s current Business 

Plan. Despite this investment, modelling for the development of the latest Mayor’s Transport 

Strategy shows that by 2031, crowding levels on the Underground network in Islington will 

be even greater than 2006 levels (see Figure 9). 



Figure 9: Underground and DLR crowding in 2031 (with planned and funded 

improvements) 


2.63 Large sections of the rail network in Islington are also crowded and according to the Mayor’s 

Transport Strategy, will continue to be crowded through to 2031 even with current 

committed levels of investment. Figure 10 shows crowding on the rail network in 2006, and 

Figure 11 shows the expected levels of crowding on the rail network in 2031 based on the 

delivery of network improvements that are currently planned and funded. It should be noted 

that Crossrail was included in the modelling behind Figure 11 (2031 rail crowding), but 

Crossrail 2 was not. 



Figure 10: Rail crowding in 2006 




Figure 11: Rail crowding in 2031 (with planned and funded improvements) 


2.64 It is critical that the capacity of rail and Underground stations, as well as the streets 

surrounding them, be increased to complement planned increases in network capacity over 

the coming decades. Some of Islington’s public transport interchanges are already very 

crowded, especially those around the Emirates Stadium on match days, and there is no 

doubt that the pressure on many stations in the borough will increase as a result of 

population and employment growth as well as capacity enhancements across the network. 

2.65 Transport for London’s Interchange Plan, released in 2002, identified and prioritised 

London’s public transport interchanges. The plan divides interchanges into five categories, 

describing each station as either category A, B, C, D or E, where category A represents 

‘major London termini’ and category E represents ‘local interchanges’. There are no 

category A interchanges in Islington, but King’s Cross St Pancras, a category A interchange, 

is located only just beyond Islington’s borough boundary with Camden, and there is no 

doubt that the King’s Cross St Pancras public transport interchange has a major impact on, 

and presents significant opportunities for Islington. 



2.66 Farringdon is the largest public transport interchange in Islington, listed as a category B 

interchange (‘other Central London interchange’) in Transport for London’s Interchange 

Plan. The completion of the Crossrail and Thameslink projects over the next five years will 

make Farringdon an even more significant interchange than it is at present. In fact, the area 

around Farringdon will become one of the most accessible parts of the south east of 

England. This heightened accessibility will be of benefit to residents and businesses in the 

area and create significant development opportunities, but it will also bring significant 

pressure to bear on the footways and public spaces surrounding the station. Pedestrian 

priority measures and new pedestrian and cycling routes will be critical to the successful 

operation of the interchange. 

2.67 Finsbury Park is classified as a ‘category C interchange’ (major strategic interchange). 

London Underground Limited (LUL) have indicated that significant works are required at 

Finsbury Park to install ticket gates, step-free access, and to ease congestion, and that a 

programme to undertake these improvements was initially planned but has been suspended 

due to funding shortfalls. The opening of Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium has worsened existing 

congestion issues at the station on Arsenal match days. Another LUL aspiration for Finsbury 

Park that currently does not have financial support is a programme to improve interchange 

between rail and Underground services at the station. 

2.68 In 2005, the Association of London Government (now London Councils) acknowledged that 

Islington’s bus services are amongst the busiest in inner London. This is still the case. The 

radial routes (north to south) are very heavily used and sections are often over-crowded, 

particularly on key bus corridors such as Upper Street, Holloway Road, Caledonian Road, 

York Way and Essex Road. 

2.69 Over-crowding means that passengers are often unable to board the first bus that comes 

along, thus extending waiting times and increasing the perception that the bus service is 

unreliable. However, bus service reliability has improved over recent years, and Excess 

Waiting Time (EWT) has also reduced. EWT is Transport for London’s measure for the 

actual waiting time beyond the scheduled bus service. 

2.70 Considering current levels of growth in Islington and the associated increases in demand for 

public transport services and road traffic congestion, action will need to be taken by 

Transport for London, with the assistance of Islington Council in order to maintain or reduce 

Excess Waiting Time. Islington Council has therefore set a target for EWT in liaison with 

Transport for London, as set out in the ‘Performance Monitoring Plan’ later in this strategy. 

2.71 The following regular bus services operate in Islington: 

44 total bus services – part or all of routes 4, 10, 17, 19, 21, 29, 30, 38, 41, 43, 

45, 55, 56, 63, 73, 76, 91, 106, 133, 134, 141, 143, 153, 205, 210, 214, 236, 243, 

253, 254, 259, 263, 271, 274, 277, 341, 390, 393, 394, 476, C11, W3, W5, and W7 

9 24-hour bus services – routes 134, 214, 236, 271, 274, 277, 341 and 390 

14 Night buses – routes N19, N29, N38, N41, N43, N55, N63, N73, N76, N91, 

N106, N243, N253 and N279 

Route 812 Hail-and-Ride bus service 

2.72 In addition to these mainstream bus services, Islington Council funds the Route 812 Hailand-Ride 

bus service, operated by Hackney Community Transport. The route is specially 

chosen to serve those areas of Islington that have larger proportions of vulnerable people 

who benefit most from tailored access to local services on which they often depend, and 

which are not accessible via mainstream bus routes (Figure 12). 



2.73 The service is used predominantly by older people and other mobility-impaired users 

including wheelchair users for whom mainstream bus services are not sufficiently 

accessible. Mainstream London buses often fail to stop close enough to the kerb for many 

people to be able to access the bus, and when gaining access there is the risk of injury as 

often the bus departs before people are able to sit down, if a seat on the lower deck is 

available at all. In mainstream buses, spaces for wheelchair users are limited and are often 

occupied by prams. The same applies to seats designated for vulnerable users. As such, 

Hail-and-Ride is a more accessible bus service than mainstream bus services. 

Figure 12: Route 812 Hail-and-Ride bus service 

Source: Islington Council (2010) 

2.74 Detailed analysis of travel patterns and public transport performance are reported annually 

by Transport for London in their ‘Travel in London’ report, available for download from 

www.tfl.gov.uk. 



Islington’s car club 

2.75 In order to provide an affordable alternative to conventional car ownership, and access to 

less polluting cars for poorer residents, Islington has developed the largest car club in the 

UK. Over 13,000 members currently enjoy access to over 200 vehicles, replacing over 1,000 

privately-owned vehicles that would otherwise be parked on Islington’s streets. The car club 

is currently operated by Streetcar, who in 2006 won a competitive tender for exclusive use 

of on-street car club bays in Islington. Every Islington resident lives within a five-minute walk 

of a Streetcar. Recent research has shown that demand for car club membership is still 

growing rapidly, so continued expansion is desirable. 

Cycling 

2.76 Along with walking, cycling is the most sustainable mode of transport and makes a 

significant contribution to reducing road traffic congestion and improving health. It is also a 

fast and affordable way of getting around. As discussed earlier, cyclists are vulnerable road 

users and are over-represented in terms of road traffic casualties. Cycling has been on the 

increase in recent years, and Islington’s central location and dense nature provide the 

opportunity to increase the proportion of trips by cycle in the borough. In 2010, the London 

Cycle Hire scheme was introduced and there are currently 29 docking station locations 

within the borough. Cycle Superhighway route CS12 will run through Islington by 2012. 

Whilst the Cycle Superhighway will provide a fast and direct route into Central London, 

many people prefer to cycle on quieter residential streets to get around the borough. 

Islington Council has increased the number of cycle parking stands over recent years. 

Transport-related crime 

2.77 Crime and fear of crime are important to people’s perceptions of personal security and 

quality of life. Crime is continuing to decrease in Islington, although it is not always 

perceived this way. Most crime is not specifically related to transport, but some crimes are 

likely to occur in places where there are many people such as at transport interchanges. 

Some specific transport-related crimes include theft of motor vehicles, theft from motor 

vehicles, and theft of bicycles. 

2.78 As detailed in Figure 13, motor vehicle theft is more common in Islington than in other 

London boroughs, while the rate of theft from motor vehicles in Islington is around the 

London average. In Islington, there were 3,177 motor vehicle crimes (theft of and theft from 

motor vehicle) in the twelve months to October 2010, which is a 6.4% decrease compared to 

the previous twelve months when there were 3,393 motor vehicle crimes (Metropolitan 

Police, 2010). 



Figure 13: Theft of motor vehicles in London 

Source: Metropolitan Police Crime Mapping, September 2010 

Noise, vibration, air pollution and climate change 

2.79 The council seeks to ensure not only that the transport network evolves to support the travel 

needs of residents, local businesses and visitors, but also that the negative impacts of 

transport on the local and global environment are reduced (for example, air pollution, noise 

and CO 2 emissions). The environmental impacts of this strategy are considered in detail in 

the Strategic Environmental Assessment (Appendix C). A brief summary of the transportrelated 

noise, air pollution and carbon issues in Islington follows below. 

2.80 The main source of noise pollution in London and the UK is road traffic. Noise pollution can 

also reduce people’s quality of life and even affect their health. Noise pollution can impact 

on people’s sleep, eating habits, moods, concentration, breathing and heart rate. In extreme 

cases it can also lead to a level of hearing loss. It also has negative impacts on local 

amenity as well as animals.. 

2.81 Road traffic, and particularly heavy vehicles, is also a significant source of vibration. 

Vibration can affect people’s health as well as damage structures and buildings, which is of 

particular concern in sensitive areas that have high levels of architectural, historical or 

amenity value (such as conservation areas, listed buildings, green spaces and high streets). 



2.82 Air pollution is particularly harmful to the most vulnerable members of society – young 

children, elderly people and those with underlying health problems. It also has adverse 

impacts on the built environment and biodiversity. Islington council’s ‘Further Assessment of 

Air Quality in Islington’ has shown that of all the local sources of air pollution, road traffic is 

the single most important. It is estimated that about 44% of NO X emissions and 72% of PM 10 

emissions from within Islington come from road traffic. 

2.83 Islington’s review and assessment of air quality undertaken as part of the development of 

the borough’s Air Quality Action Plan identified two pollutants, PM 10 particles and nitrogen 

dioxide (NO 2 ), as exceeding or being likely to exceed the objectives of the UK Air Quality 

Strategy (2007). This is of concern, as when PM 10 exists at high levels, it is associated with 

a range of effects on health, including effects on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, 

asthma and mortality. Nitrogen dioxide at relatively high concentrations causes inflammation 

of the airways, and there is also evidence to show that long-term exposure may affect lung 

function. 

2.84 Islington’s 2010 Air Quality Progress Report indicates that, like most inner London 

boroughs, the annual mean air quality objective for nitrogen dioxide was exceeded at 

Islington’s roadside monitoring locations and close to the annual mean air quality objective 

in background locations. This continues the trend for air quality in Islington, with the annual 

mean nitrogen dioxide objective at the roadside having been exceeded in previous years. 

Figure 14 shows that this is consistent with most of central and much of inner London. The 

objective for PM 10 concentrations at roadside locations in Islington were met, but 

concentrations will continue to be monitored. 

Figure 14: Nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) concentrations across Greater London 

Source: Greater London Authority (2009) 



2.85 Road traffic makes a major contribution to noise, vibration and air pollution, which leads to 

disproportionate social and health impacts on Islington’s more deprived communities who 

are more likely to live closer to major traffic corridors. Islington’s Air Quality Action Plan and 

this Transport Strategy aim to tackle the negative effects of the transport network on the 

health of Islington residents by implementing measures to both reduce the pollution emitted 

from vehicles on borough roads, and to reduce the amount of traffic on the roads. 

2.86 The council has addressed the noise, vibration and air pollution caused by road traffic 

through road maintenance and reducing speed limits. Islington has a 20mph speed limit on 

all residential streets and will extend this speed limit to borough-controlled principal roads – 

subject to funding and Traffic Management Orders, which will help make the borough’s 

roads safer and will reduce the noise and vibration caused by road traffic, as well as the 

emissions from vehicles. In some cases, access to certain areas for heavy goods vehicles 

has been restricted to minimise specific localised noise, vibration and air pollution impacts. 

2.87 In terms of the global environment, extreme weather and flooding are just two of the 

anticipated effects of climate change. These effects alone could have a major impact on the 

transport network and its operation in the coming decades. Extreme temperatures adversely 

impact on the condition of the road and rail networks, leading to delays, closures and 

increased maintenance costs. Increased risk of flooding, for instance, requires increased 

investment in drainage systems. For these reasons, even when looking at the transport 

network in isolation, it is important that the council works to reduce CO 2 emissions, while 

also adapting to the likely impacts of global climate change. 

2.88 The transport network is a major contributor to carbon emissions, in particular carbon 

dioxide. The Islington Carbon Baseline Study (2007) estimated that the transport sector in 

Islington was responsible for the emission of 156,852 tonnes of CO 2 in 2005. This figure 

represented 14% of the borough’s overall CO 2 emissions. Reducing the transport sector’s 

contribution to CO 2 emissions will require a continued move away from current private 

vehicle reliance towards cleaner forms of travel such as walking and cycling. 



3.0 Islington’s transport challenges, objectives and policies 

3.1 It is clear from the transport context set out in the previous section that Islington faces a 

number of transport challenges. These local challenges must be understood alongside subregional, 

London-wide and national challenges. This section defines these challenges and 

sets out Islington’s transport objectives, which will ensure that the delivery of transport 

improvements in the borough address local and sub-regional priorities and challenges and 

contribute towards delivery of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy and national transport 

objectives. 

Islington’s transport challenges 

3.2 The council’s key transport challenge is to provide the additional transport capacity that is 

needed to support its housing objectives and deliver economic recovery, regeneration and 

growth. At the same time, the council must ensure that Islington’s poorest places and people 

benefit from investment in the transport system, and are able to participate in the 

opportunities that will be delivered through economic recovery, regeneration and growth. 

The list below identifies the challenges that must be addressed if the borough is to 

accommodate growth and tackle inequality. 

3.3 The transport challenges in Islington are: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fairness– to help tackle social disadvantage by providing equality of transport 

opportunities for all 

Growth – to ensure that the transport network can accommodate the additional 

trips that will be made as a result of population and employment growth in the 

borough 

Capacity – to provide additional capacity within an already densely developed 

network with access to very limited resources 

Congestion – to make the best use of existing capacity to help alleviate 

congestion, despite the difficulty of enhancing physical capacity 

Accessibility – to improve the borough’s transport network so that all people in 

Islington, whatever their level of mobility, are able to get around 

Connectivity – to better connect places and interchanges within the borough and 

with the wider transport network in London 

Reliability – to ensure that the disruption and inconvenience sometimes 

experienced within Islington’s transport network are minimised and where possible 

eliminated 

Affordability – to facilitate the use of more affordable forms of travel such as 

walking, cycling and bus services 

Health – to promote active travel and reduce the negative health impacts of motor 

vehicle travel on Islington residents, in particular the borough’s most deprived 

communities 

Safety – to reduce the number of people injured or killed on Islington’s streets each 

year 



 

 

 

Security – to reduce crime and the fear of crime within Islington’s transport 

network, so that everyone feels comfortable using it when they want to 

Pollution – to reduce the level of localised air and noise pollution in Islington and 

thereby reduce their impact on residents, in particular the borough’s most deprived 

communities 

Climate change – to reduce Islington’s transport-related carbon emissions and 

thereby reduce local and global climate change impacts 

Islington’s transport objectives 

3.4 In order to ensure that Islington’s transport challenges are addressed, the objectives of this 

transport strategy are to make Islington’s transport environment… 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair – No one in the borough will be unable to access opportunities, services or 

facilities due to a lack of mobility 

Efficient – Islington’s limited road space and public transport capacity will be 

managed to reduce crowding, congestion and unreliability 

Safe – Road dangers will be minimised, ensuring that fewer people are injured or 


Secure – Crime and the fear of crime will be reduced on Islington’s streets, estates 

and public transport network 

Vibrant – Streetscape and public realm improvements will contribute towards 

regeneration and local economic recovery and growth 

Healthy – More active forms of travel will be encouraged, and the negative impacts 

of travel, especially on Islington’s poorer communities, will be reduced 

Islington’s transport objectives supporting the Mayor’s Transport Strategy 

3.5 Achieving Islington’s borough transport objectives will also contribute towards achieving the 

five goals set out in the Mayor’s Transport Strategy for London, and towards addressing the 

associated challenges within the timeframe of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy. This section 

outlines how Islington’s borough transport objectives relate to the Mayor’s Transport 

Strategy goals, as well as the London Plan objectives. 

3.6 Islington’s borough transport objectives have been set for the timeframe of the Mayor’s 

transport Strategy, 2011 to 2031. Islington’s borough transport objectives and transport 

challenges will be reviewed in 2013 as a new Delivery Plan is developed for the period 

2014/15 to 2016/17. 

MTS Goal 1: Economic development and population growth 

3.7 MTS Challenge: Supporting population and employment growth 

Population and employment growth must be supported through continued investment in the 

public transport network to increase capacity, reliability, and connectivity within Islington and 

beyond, and to ensure that the network is accessible to everyone who wants to use it. 

Although the Mayor’s Transport Strategy has committed significant levels of rail investment 

that will benefit Islington, Transport for London admits that crowding on London 

Underground and National Rail services in the borough will actually get worse unless further 

improvements are implemented before 2031. Islington Council will invest in transport in the 

borough to make Islington’s transport network fair, effective and vibrant to support 

population and employment growth. 



3.8 Islington is one of the most economically successful and dynamic places in London, and is a 

very desirable place to live, work and do business. As a result, the borough is experiencing 

rapid population and employment growth. Islington’s residential population was 188,900 in 

2006 and is expected to reach 205,700 by 2011 (a 9% increase compared to 2006), with 

further growth projected to 230,700 by 2031 (a 22% increase from 2006). Despite the 

recession, employment within Islington has also continued to grow strongly. There were 

161,000 jobs in Islington in April 2008, and over 176,000 in April 2010, nearly a 10% 

increase in two years. 

3.9 MTS Challenge: Improving transport connectivity 

Islington is generally well served and connected by different transport modes. However, 

over-crowding on both public transport and the road network will only get worse between 

now and 2031 when taking into account planned transport investment. Improving transport 

connectivity within the borough as well as to the surrounding region and in particular to 

Central London and to the north will make Islington’s transport network more effective. 

Enhancing and upgrading transport interchanges in the borough is will increase effectively 

and help to reduce over-crowding and improve connectivity at transport interchanges such 

as Highbury & Islington and Finsbury Park. Islington has only limited control over the 

transport network in the borough and the council will continue to work in partnership with 

Transport for London, rail and bus operators and others to improve connectivity in the 

borough and beyond. 

3.10 MTS Challenge: Delivering an efficient and effective transport system for people and 

goods 

Reducing congestion is essential to maintain a fair, effective and vibrant transport network 

for Islington and to accommodate and attract economic development and population growth. 

MTS Goal 2: Quality of life 

3.11 Islington’s challenge of catering for future growth is directly linked to equality. Islington is not 

simply a dynamic and economically successful place – it is also highly socially polarised, 

with some of the poorest and richest people in Britain living side by side. This inequality is 

reflected in people’s mobility and access to opportunities. There are people in Islington who 

are extremely mobile and who will fly all over the world for work and leisure, but there are 

also people with extremely low mobility who rarely leave their neighbourhood, or indeed 

their home, and who struggle to access even local services and facilities. 

3.12 Poorer residents often cannot afford a car, which is reflected in the low levels of car 

ownership in deprived areas of Islington. This is compounded by the fact that the poorest 

parts of the borough, particularly large social housing estates, also have the lowest levels of 

access to public transport services. The same areas also suffer from the worst air quality 

and high levels of traffic noise. 

3.13 MTS Challenge: Improving journey experience 

Congestion and poorly-maintained roads are dangerous for road users and in particular for 

cyclists and pedestrians. Poorly-maintained roads can also have a detrimental effect in 

terms emissions compared to well-maintained roads due to frequent acceleration and 

deceleration. Islington will be working with Transport for London and other partners to 

address congestion and road maintenance where possible to help make Islington’s transport 

environment more fair, safe, effective and healthy. 



3.14 MTS Challenge: Enhancing the built and natural environment 

Because of its central London location and attractive and historic character, Islington is a 

desirable place to live, work and visit. Because of its location there is a significant proportion 

of through traffic on Islington’s roads, leading to negative impacts on Islington’s built and 

natural environment. Equally, there are parts of the borough with high levels of deprivation 

where residents suffer disproportionately from the negative effects of transport. 

Environmental enhancement schemes throughout the borough aim to enhance Islington’s 

built and natural environment to make Islington’s (transport) environment fair, vibrant, 

secure and healthy. 

3.15 MTS Challenge: Improving noise impacts 

As in other parts of London, noise resulting from transport can have a significant negative 

impact on the quality of life of the Islington’s residents, and can affect health and wellbeing. 

Noise impacts are greatest near roads with high traffic volumes or speeds, and social 

housing is often concentrated near main roads. This means that in many cases, Islington’s 

poorest residents are exposed to the highest levels of noise. Islington will help Transport for 

London to address this challenge as part of its transport objectives to make Islington’s 

transport network fair, vibrant and healthy. 

3.16 MTS Challenge: Improving health impacts 

Islington’s poorest residents suffer disproportionately from the negative health and 

environmental impacts of transport, such as noise and air pollution, contributing to illnesses 

such as respiratory and heart disease, stress and ultimately shorter life expectancy. Road 

safety is also worse in areas of high deprivation where road traffic casualties are more 

frequent, putting poorer residents and children at a higher risk of being injured or killed in 

road traffic accidents. Social housing is often concentrated near main roads, which means 

residents in these areas are exposed to relatively high levels of noise and air pollution. 

Transport investment can increase access to opportunities for residents of deprived areas 

by improving personal security, facilitating more affordable forms of travel like walking and 

cycling, and improving local bus services. These measures make Islington’s transport 

environment healthy, contribute to reduce noise and air pollution in the borough, and will 

reduce carbon emissions to help tackle climate change. 

3.17 MTS Challenge: Improving air quality 

Although Islington has achieved a steady improvement in the borough’s air quality over 

recent years, the national targets for two pollutants, nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) and particles 

(PM 10 ) are not likely to be achieved within Islington. As a consequence, the council declared 

an Air Quality Management Area across a large part of the borough on 19 January 2001, 

which was expanded to the whole of the borough in 2003. Islington cannot achieve a 

healthy transport environment on its own, as much of the responsibility for the road network 

in Islington falls on Transport for London. But Islington will continue to work to improve air 

quality in the borough through appropriate policies and interventions, and will continue to 

work in partnership with Transport for London and transport operators to improve air quality. 

MTS Goal 3: Safety and security 

3.18 MTS Challenge: Reducing crime, fear of crime and anti-social behaviour 

Crime and fear of crime is a significant deterrent to mobility and accessibility in Islington, 

especially for residents of more deprived areas where crime is more frequent. 

Environmental enhancements at transport interchanges and other locations in the borough 

will contribute to make making Islington’s transport environment secure and vibrant. 



3.19 MTS Challenge: Improving road safety 

Improving road safety in Islington and particularly reducing the number of road traffic 

casualties is one of the priorities of this strategy. The number of people killed or seriously 

injured in road traffic accidents in Islington has decreased by 60% between 2001 and 2009, 

but every road traffic casualty is one too many. Islington Council will continue to work 

towards a safe transport environment in the borough and to bring down the number of road 

traffic casualties throughout the borough. The main focus will be on areas of high 

deprivation where there are more road traffic incidents, as well as measures aimed to 

improve the safety of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. 

3.20 MTS Challenge: Improving public transport safety 

Islington will continue to work in partnership with Transport for London, the Police and 

transport operators to ensure a secure public transport environment in the borough. 

MTS Goal 4: Transport opportunities for all Londoners 

3.21 MTS Challenge: Improving accessibility 

Overall, accessibility in Islington is good. Due to the small size of the borough and the high 

levels of public transport accessibility, most places and facilities within the area are easily 

accessible by walking, cycling or public transport. Housing estates and areas of higher 

deprivation tend to have lower accessibility levels due to the distance people have to walk to 

access bus stops located on main roads. There are also accessibility issues for disabled 

people on Islington’s streets because of poorly designed or damaged streets, including 

poorly positioned street furniture and guard railings. Improving accessibility is essential to 

make Islington’s transport environment fair and healthy. 

3.22 MTS Challenge: Supporting regeneration and tackling regeneration 

As already stated, Islington is a borough of great contrasts with some of the most affluent as 

well as some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in London. Although improvements have 

been made in tackling deprivation, more needs to be done to regenerate the borough, to 

tackle deprivation, and to make Islington’s transport environment fair and safe. 

MTS Goal 5: Climate change 

3.23 MTS Challenge: Reducing CO 2 emissions 

Islington will work to reduce CO 2 emissions in the borough as part of making Islington’s 

transport environment healthy. Islington’s LDF Core Strategy and Sustainable Community 

Strategy, as well as this Transport Strategy, demonstrate the council’s commitment to 

reducing CO 2 emissions from transport, as well as promoting a healthy and greener 

transport modes, including walking and cycling, use of public transport and car clubs. The 

Mayor of London set Islington an indicative long term target for reducing CO 2 emission from 

ground-based transport to 71.11 kilo tonnes of CO 2 by 2025 to contribute to the Mayor of 

London’s target of a 60% reduction by 2025 (compared to the 1990 base). Islington Council 

cannot deliver this target alone and will work in partnership with Transport for London and 

Transport operators to achieve the reduction in CO 2 . 

3.24 MTS Challenge: Adapting to climate change 

The council will work in partnership with Transport for London and other stakeholders to 

take the necessary steps to adapt Islington’s transport environment to prepare for the likely 

impacts of climate change. Islington will manage flood risks through drainage improvements, 

planning policies and more absorbent surfaces, and will constantly review highway 

maintenance and construction techniques, as part of making Islington’s transport 

environment healthy. 



3.25 

Table 9: Islington’s transport objectives supporting the Mayor of London’s 

Transport Strategy and the London Plan 

Mayor of London Transport Strategy 

London Plan objectives 

goals 

Islington’s 

transport 

objectives 

A fair 

transport 

environment 

A safe 

transport 

environment 

A secure 

transport 

environment 

An efficient 

transport 

environment 

A vibrant 

transport 

environment 

A healthy 

transport 

environment 

Supporting economic development 

and population growth 

Enhancing the quality of life for all 

Londoners 

Enhancing the safety and security of 

all Londoners 

Improving transport opportunities for 

all Londoners 

Reducing transport’s contribution to 

climate change and improving its 

resilience 

To accommodate London’s growth 

within its boundaries without 

encroaching on open spaces 

To make London a healthier and 

better city for people to live in 

To make London a more 

prosperous city with string and 

diverse long term economic growth 

To promote social inclusion and 

tackle deprivation and discrimination 

√ √ √ √ √ √ √ 

√ √ √ √ √ 

√ √ √ √ √ 

To improve London’s accessibility 

To make London an exemplary 

world city in mitigating and adapting 

to climate change and a more 

attractive, well-designed and green 

city 

√ √ √ √ √ √ √ 

√ √ √ √ √ √ 

√ √ √ √ √ √ 

Islington’s borough transport objectives supporting sub-regional transport 

plans 

3.26 Islington’s borough transport objectives, and this strategy as a whole, have been developed 

to support the North London Sub-regional Transport Plan and the Central London Subregional 

Transport Plan, and to help address the sub-regional challenges that affect 

Islington and these sub-regions. 

3.27 The key challenges set out in the Central London Sub-regional Transport Plan are: 

Reducing public transport crowding and improving reliability 

Supporting growth areas and regeneration 

Ensuring capacity at rail stations and efficient onward distribution 

Improving the urban realm and promoting walking 

Improving air quality 

Managing the different demands on streets 



3.28 The key challenges set out in the North London Sub-regional Transport Plan are: 

Facilitating and responding to growth, particularly in Brent Cross / Cricklewood and 

the Upper Lee Valley 

Relieving crowding on the public transport network 

Managing highway congestion and making more efficient use of the road network 

Enhancing connectivity and the attractiveness of orbital public transport 

Improving access to key locations and to jobs and services 

3.29 Table 10 outlines how Islington’s borough transport objectives will contribute towards 

addressing the sub-regional challenges faced in Central and North London. 

Table 10: Transport objectives matrix – sub-regional transport plan challenges 

North London Sub-Regional 

Transport Plan challenges 

Central London Sub-Regional Transport 

Plan challenges 

Islington’s 

transport 

objectives 

A fair 

transport 

environment 

A safe 

transport 

environment 

A secure 

environment 

An efficient 

transport 

environment 

A vibrant 

transport 

environment 

A healthy 

transport 

environment 

Facilitating and responding to 

growth, particularly in Brent 

Cross / Cricklewood and the 

Upper Lee Valley 

Relieving crowding on the 

public transport network 

Managing highway congestion 

and making more efficient use 

of the road network 

Enhancing connectivity and the 

attractiveness of orbital public 

transport 

Improving access to key 

locations and to jobs and 

services 

Reducing public transport 

crowding and improving 

reliability 

Supporting growth areas and 

regeneration 

Ensuring capacity at rail 

stations and efficient onward 

distribution 

Improving the urban realm and 

promoting walking 

Improving air quality 

Managing the different 

demands on streets 

√ √ √ √ √ √ 

√ √ √ √ 

√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ 

√ √ √ √ √ √ √ 

√ √ √ √ √ 

3.30 Paragraphs 3.31 to 3.40 detail how Islington’s local transport objectives contribute to 

addressing the sub-regional transport challenges that have been identified to directly relate 

to the borough, above in Table 10. 

√ 

√ 



North London Sub-regional Challenges 

3.31 Relieving crowding on the public transport network 

Islington’s local transport objective to create an efficient transport environment will make a 

contribution to relieving crowding on the public transport network in the both the North 

London and Central London sub-regions. Islington will continue to work in partnership with 

Transport for London and transport operators to relieve crowding on the public transport 

network, as much of the public transport network is beyond Islington’s direct control. 

Islington’s local transport objective to make Islington’s transport environment more efficient 

will include action to reduce the number of shorter journeys made by public transport, 

thereby reducing crowding on the public transport network, for instance by improving 

conditions for pedestrians and cyclists in the borough. 

3.32 Managing highway congestion and making more efficient use of the road network 

Islington’s local transport objectives to make the borough’s transport environment fair, 

efficient, safe, vibrant and healthy will result in more efficient use of carriageway space 

and footways. Through the council’s implementation of its road user hierarchy, pedestrians, 

public transport users and cyclists will be prioritised over other road users. Currently the 

one-way systems at Archway, Highbury Corner, Finsbury Park, King’s Cross and Old Street 

contribute to highway congestion and it is part of Islington’s programme of investment and 

long-term ambitions to remove these systems and reduce congestion, thus improving 

journey time reliability particularly for bus services, and improving the transport environment 

for all users. 

3.33 Enhancing connectivity and the attractiveness of orbital public transport 

Islington’s local transport objectives to make Islington’s transport environment efficient and 

vibrant will contribute to addressing the North London sub-regional transport challenge to 

enhance connectivity and the attractiveness of orbital public transport. The removal of the 

Highbury Corner gyratory and improvement works will increase accessibility of Highbury & 

Islington station and access to the North London Line, and will create a more spacious, 

legible and attractive public realm that can accommodate the large numbers of visitors that 

use the station in general and with events at the Emirates Stadium in particular. 

3.34 Improving access to key locations and to jobs and services 

Islington’s local transport objectives to make Islington’s transport environment fair, efficient 

and vibrant will contribute towards the North London sub-regional challenge to improve 

access to key locations, jobs and services. By prioritising walking, public transport and 

cycling over other modes of transport, the most affordable forms of transport, more people 

will be able to afford to travel and access opportunities including jobs and services. By 

improving access at interchanges such as Highbury & Islington, Finsbury Park and Archway, 

the transport environment will become more efficient and vibrant, enabling more people to 

travel more easily. 

Central London Sub-regional challenges 

3.35 Relieving crowding on the public transport network 

Islington’s local transport objective to create an efficient transport environment will make a 

contribution to relieving crowding on the public transport network in the both the North 

London and Central London sub-regions. Islington will continue to work in partnership with 

Transport for London and transport operators to relieve crowding on the public transport 

network, as much of the public transport network is beyond Islington’s direct control. 

Islington’s local transport objective to make Islington’s transport environment more efficient 

will include action to reduce the number of shorter journeys made by public transport, 

thereby reducing crowding on the public transport network, for instance by improving 

conditions for pedestrians and cyclists in the borough. 



3.36 Supporting growth areas and regeneration 

The challenge of growth has been identified, together with fairness and place-making, as 

one of the biggest challenges to Islington’s transport environment. Islington’s local transport 

objectives have been developed to ensure that Islington’s transport environment can cope 

with the estimated increase in population and economic growth. 

3.37 Ensuring capacity at rail stations and efficient onward distribution 

Islington’s local transport objective to create an efficient transport environment will help to 

ensure that there is sufficient capacity at rail stations and effective onwards distribution. 

Although rail station capacity is outside the scope of the council, Islington is working with 

transport partners to ensure station capacity is increased in line with growth estimates for 

passenger numbers and rolling stock. 

3.38 Improving the urban realm and promoting walking 

Walking is the most sustainable form of transport. Islington’s local transport objectives will 

ensure that all interventions will contribute towards an improved urban realm that 

encourages people to walk or cycle where possible. Islington’s local transport objectives 

recognise that the transport environment must be fair, safe, secure, efficient, vibrant and 

healthy. 

3.39 Improving air quality 

Islington’s local transport objectives set out to make Islington’s transport environment fair, 

efficient, vibrant and healthy. Air pollution is often higher in areas of deprivation and must 

be reduced to achieve fairness. An efficient transport environment will see people walking 

and cycling more, making use of public transport and reducing their car trips within the 

borough, reducing traffic volumes, congestion and therefore air pollution. 

3.40 Managing the different demands on streets 

Islington’s local transport objectives aim to manage the different demands on Islington’s 

streets. To make the transport environment fair and safe, Islington has prioritised walking, 

public transport and cycling over other transport modes. An efficient transport environment 

is essential in managing demands. 

Islington’s transport objectives supporting Islington’s Core Strategy and 

Sustainable Community Strategy 

3.41 The Core Strategy is a key document within Islington’s Local Development Framework 

(LDF), setting out the council's spatial plan for the borough. The Core Strategy will influence 

future planning decisions and will guide the shaping of the borough to 2025 and beyond. It 

sets out the vision for what we want to achieve in the future, where and how change will 

happen, as well as Islington's approach to important issues including how we seek to 

improve the built environment, provide more affordable housing and employment spaces, 

respond to climate change, and provide facilities for our communities. 

3.42 The Core Strategy should be seen alongside the Sustainable Community Strategy, which 

sets out priorities for action by the council and its partners in the Islington Strategic 

Partnership, and the London Plan, which sets out the Mayor of London's priorities for the 

city. One of the Mayor’s key objectives within the London Plan is to address inequality 

amongst Londoners, by ensuring that all Londoners benefit from economic growth, and are 

engaged in the development process. In line with the London Plan, this Core Strategy 

reflects the commitment to reduce inequality in the borough. 



3.43 Tables 11 and 12 detail how Islington’s borough transport objectives contribute towards 

Islington’s Core Strategy objectives and Islington’s Sustainable Community Strategy 

Priorities for Action. 

Table 11: Transport objectives matrix: Core Strategy objectives 

Islington’s Borough Transport Objectives 

A fair 

transport 

A safe 

transport 

environment 

A secure 

transport 

environment 

An efficient 

transport 

environment 

A vibrant 

transport 

environment 

A healthy 

transport 

environment 

Islington’s Core Strategy Objectives 

1.Tackling inequality and exclusion in the 

borough, and seeking to ensure that local 

residents share in the prosperity of London 

2. Securing a supply of housing which 

encourages mixed communities, where the 

main priority will be maximising provision of 

social rented housing. Mixed communities 

include(but are not limited to), different 

tenures, household sizes, and ages 

(including families, older people and 

disabled people) 

3. Meeting and seeking to exceed the 

minimum regional targets for housing 

supply, with new housing contributing to the 

increased quality of life for residents 

4. Ensuring new development and the 

spaces around it provide a high quality 

environment that is accessible to all 

residents, employees and visitors 

5.Maintaining and enhancing Islington's 

historic environment through conservationled 

regeneration initiatives 

6. Promoting neighbourhoods that support a 

sense of wellbeing, specifically; to reduce 

health inequalities in the borough by 

encouraging healthier choices including, 

(but not limited to), the use of open spaces, 

play opportunities and access to both high 

quality sports facilities and health care 

facilities 

7. Maintaining the growth in employment by 

ensuring a broad range of opportunities 

exist for all types and sizes of businesses 

across all parts of Islington 

8. Tackling worklessness through training 

and employment initiatives 

9. Ensuring a range of provision of 

shopping, leisure and local services which 

serve the local community and support 

Islington’s economy 

10. Supporting the borough’s universities 

and hospitals as major employers and 

service providers as they seek to maintain 

and improve their estates 

√ √ √ 

√ √ 

√ √ √ 

√ √ √ √ √ √ 

√ √ 

√ √ √ √ √ √ 

√ √ √ √ 

√ 

√ √ √ √ 

√ 



11. Encouraging new hotels/visitor 

accommodation where it benefits Islington’s 

economy and enhances the local area 

12. Minimising the borough's contribution to 

climate change and ensuring we are able to 

cope with the effects of a changing climate 

13. Reducing Islington’s impact on the 

environment by using resources, including 

energy, water and other materials, as 

efficiently as possible 

14.Promoting waste minimisation, re-use, 

recycling, composting and resource 

efficiency over landfill 

15. Delivering high quality, multi-functional 

green infrastructure alongside development 

throughout the borough 

16. Protecting and enhancing biodiversity in 

the borough and increasing access to 

nature 

17. Encouraging walking and cycling over 

public transport use and encouraging all of 

these over car use 

18. Improving transport connections to 

ensure that public transport capacity is 

sufficient to meet the needs of those who 

live, work, and study in the borough and that 

capacity is also sufficient to allow access to 

work, study and leisure opportunities 

beyond the borough 

19. Using significant transport 

improvements to lead regeneration 

√ √ √ 

√ √ √ √ √ 

√ √ √ √ 

√ √ √ 

√ √ 

√ 

√ √ √ √ √ √ 

√ √ √ √ √ √ 

√ √ √ √ √ √ 

Table 12: Transport objectives matrix: Islington’s Sustainable Community Strategy 

Islington’s Transport Objectives 

A fair transport 

environment 

A safe transport 

environment 

A secure transport 

environment 

A efficient transport 

environment 

A vibrant transport 

environment 

A healthy transport 

environment 

Islington’s Sustainable Community Strategy 

priorities for action 

Improving employment and prosperity √ √ 

Improving learning and attainment √ √ √ 

Improving health √ √ √ √ 

Improving safety √ √ 

Improving the environment √ √ 

Improving housing √ √ 

Building stronger, sustainable communities √ √ √ √ √ 



3.44 Islington Council is currently reviewing the borough’s Sustainable Community Strategy, 

which is closely linked to Islington’s Fairness Framework that is currently being developed. 

The central aim of these documents is to make Islington a fairer place setting out actions 

relating to poverty reduction, education and learning, housing standards, safety health and 

wellbeing, the community and public services. The development of this transport strategy 

has taken these developments into account and is consistent with Islington’s emerging 

fairness and community strategies. 

3.45 In addition, other documents within the council’s Local Development Framework have been 

adopted or are being developed to help manage the transport implications of development 

and growth within the borough. These include: 

Development Management Policies (under development) 

Site Allocations (under development) 

Streetbook SPD (Islington’s forthcoming Public Realm Design Guide) 

Accessible Housing 

Inclusive Landscape Design 

Islington Urban Design Guide 

Planning Obligations SPD 

Community Infrastructure Levy 

Green Construction (under development) 

Angel Town Centre Strategy 

Nag’s Head Town Centre Strategy 

Archway Development Framework 

King’s Cross Neighbourhood Framework 

Bunhill and Clerkenwell Area Action Plan (under development) 

Islington’s Air Quality Progress Report 2010 

Islington’s Highway Asset Management Plan (HAMP) and Network 

Management Duty (NMD 

3.46 Islington’s HAMP and NMD under the Traffic Management Act 2004 have been considered 

throughout the development of Islington’s Transport Strategy to ensure local transport 

objectives and those of the wider area are met. Traffic management measures are a 

significant proportion of road construction costs in central London because of the limited 

road space, high levels of road traffic congestion and the effect of traffic diversions on the 

local community and emergency services. 

3.47 Islington’s highway needs are driven by its users. Traditional technical descriptions of our 

streets are expressed in terms of road type, construction and traffic. Road users see 

Islington’s streets not as the material of which they are made but in terms of what happens 

on and alongside them. People will describe a street as residential, safe or busy. They will 

have perceptions of an area with regard to cleanliness, accessibility or levels of 

maintenance. Islington’s Highway Asset Management System is geographically based on 

Islington’s Google Enterprise platform. This enables traditional highways data to be overlaid 

with all of the available social data such as crime statistics, cleansing regimes, deprivation, 

parking and future planning. As such, Islington’s HAMP and NMD are critical in the 

development and delivery of the transport improvements detailed in the delivery plan, and 

that schemes meet Islington’s transport objectives. 



Key transport policies 

3.48 In order to achieve Islington’s transport objectives set out above, this transport strategy also 

establishes key transport policies to guide future transport development and delivery in 

Islington. These are set out in Table 13. 

Table 13: Islington’s transport policies 

Transport Policy 

1. Ensure that changes to the transport 

environment are subject to transparent 

decision-making processes that are 

open to all parts of the community 

2. Ensure transport improvements support 

local economic activity and growth 

3. Make more effective use of the existing 

transport network, and where 

practicable, increase capacity to 

accommodate increased demand 

resulting from population and economic 

growth 

4. Encourage healthier, more active forms 

of travel, where possible prioritising 

services based on the following road 

user hierarchy: 

1. pedestrians 

2. public transport 

3. cyclists 

4. taxis, delivery and servicing needs 

5. private motorists and other road 

users 

Consideration for disabled people shall 

be a key principle throughout this 

hierarchy 

Transport 

challenges 

addressed 

Fairness 

Fairness 

Growth 

Capacity 

Congestion 

Accessibility 

Connectivity 

Reliability 

Safety 

Climate change 

Pollution 

Growth 

Capacity 

Congestion 

Accessibility 

Connectivity 

Reliability 

Safety 


Pollution 

Growth 

Capacity 

Congestion 

Accessibility 

Connectivity 

Reliability 

Health 

Safety 


Pollution 


objectives 

contributed 

towards 

Fair 

Efficient 

Fair 

Efficient 

Vibrant 

Healthy 

Efficient 

Vibrant 

Healthy 

Fair 

Efficient 

Safe 

Healthy 




5. Keep the transport network moving and 

minimise congestion 

6. Ensure good, safe and secure transport 

access to town centres and all facilities 

used by the local community, especially 

for less mobile people 

7. Create more attractive town centres, 

streets and public spaces to encourage 

local shopping and other economic and 

community activities 

8. Ensure new housing developments are 

car-free and, where appropriate, 

contribute to transport investment 

9. Reduce physical barriers associated 

with transport 

10. Work with Transport for London and 

transport operators to improve public 

transport service quality and reliability, 

and to make interchanges easier, safer 

and quicker 

11. Maintain servicing and delivery access 

to businesses whilst reducing the 

number and impact of heavy goods 

vehicles 


challenges 

addressed 

Growth 

Capacity 

Congestion 

Accessibility 

Reliability 


Pollution 

Fairness 

Growth 

Accessibility 

Connectivity 

Health 

Safety 

Security 

Accessibility 

Connectivity 

Safety 

Security 


Pollution 

Congestion 

Capacity 

Connectivity 

Accessibility 

Affordability 

Health 


Pollution 

Fairness 

Capacity 

Congestion 

Connectivity 

Accessibility 

Health 

Safety 

Capacity 

Congestion 

Accessibility 

Connectivity 

Reliability 

Safety 

Congestion 

Accessibility 

Safety 


Pollution 


objectives 

contributed 

towards 

Efficient 

Fair 

Efficient 

Safe 

Secure 

Efficient 

Safe 

Secure 

Vibrant 

Healthy 

Safe 

Efficient 

Vibrant 

Healthy 

Fair 

Safe 

Efficient 

Vibrant 

Efficient 

Safe 

Safe 

Efficient 

Healthy 




12. Improve the condition of the road 

network and footways, using 

sustainable materials and techniques 

where practicable 

13. Encourage healthier, more active forms 

of travel, and reduce the proportion of 

trips made by motor vehicles 

14. Press the Mayor of London and rail 

operators to introduce a fair system of 

public transport tickets and fares, and 

other charges 

15. Reduce the number of people killed or 

injured on Islington’s streets 

16. Reduce crime and the perception of 

crime within Islington’s transport 

environment 


challenges 

addressed 

Capacity 

Congestion 

Accessibility 

Reliability 

Safety 

Fairness 

Capacity 

Congestion 

Accessibility 

Affordability 

Health 

Safety 


Pollution 

Fairness 

Affordability 

Fairness 

Health 

Safety 

Reliability 

Safety 

Security 


objectives 

contributed 

towards 

Safe 

Efficient 

Vibrant 

Healthy 

Fair 

Safe 

Efficient 

Vibrant 

Healthy 

Fair 

Safe 

Secure 

Vibrant 

17. Reduce vehicle and cycle theft Security Secure 

18. Reduce negative transport-related 

health impacts, particularly noise and 

NO X and particulate emissions 

Fair 

Healthy 

19. Reduce carbon emissions from landbased 

transport in Islington 

Fairness 

Capacity 

Congestion 

Accessibility 

Health 

Safety 

Security 


Pollution 

Capacity 

Congestion 

Affordability 

Health 


Pollution 

Efficient 

Healthy 



Assessing the impacts of the strategy 

3.49 This strategy has been informed and influenced by a Strategic Environmental Assessment 

(SEA) and an Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) to ensure potential negative impacts are 

considered and where necessary mitigated or minimised. These assessments also identify 

positive impacts and potential to improve Islington’s transport environment in terms of 

equality and environmental issues. Health impacts have been assessed as part of the 

Strategic Environmental Assessment. The wider policy and legislative context of these 

assessments and this strategy are detailed in the Strategic Environmental Assessment and 

the Equality Impact Assessment (appendices C, D and E). Neither the SEA nor the EIA 

have identified actual negative impacts that are not addressed through Islington’s Transport 

Strategy and as such have not changed Islington’s transport objectives. The SEA does 

show that Islington’s local transport objectives have a positive influence on the SEA 

objectives and vice versa. For example, the SEA objective ‘Improve road safety’ contributes 

towards the local transport objectives of making Islington’s transport environment ‘fair’ and 

‘safe’. 



4.0 Transport and Regeneration 

4.1 The previous section set out Islington’s key transport challenges, and the transport 

objectives that have been adopted within this strategy to address those challenges. 

Islington’s twin challenges of growth and inequality manifest themselves in the physical 

character of the borough, where there are a number of key places that are not only in need 

of regeneration, but which, with the right investment, have the capacity to support growth. 

4.2 Islington’s Core Strategy, which was adopted on 17 February 2011 as part of the borough’s 

Local Development Framework (LDF), identifies the key places within the borough where 

regeneration is most needed. These areas include: 

 

 

 

 

 

Archway 

Finsbury Park 

Nag’s Head / Holloway Road 


Bunhill / Clerkenwell 

4.3 Other parts of the borough are relatively economically successful but require investment to 

support growth and to extend economic activity to surrounding areas. These areas include: 

 

 

Angel / Upper Street 

Highbury Corner 

4.4 This section explores the key transport considerations and opportunities for each of these 

areas, as well as area-specific transport challenges and committed and potential 

investment. 

Archway District Town Centre 

Considerations and opportunities 

4.5 The Archway district town centre is a prime example of the failure of post-war planning, 

housing, and transport policies. However, anyone familiar with the town centre will know that 

it has a great deal of potential. It is set in a stunning hillside location overlooking London, 

surrounded by many attractive residential streets, and is well-connected by public transport. 

It is home to the Whittington Hospital, University College London, Middlesex University as 

well as the Byam Shaw School of Art. It also accommodates a number of highly valued 

small shops and businesses, and an active and committed Town Centre Management 

Board has been set up. 

4.6 Despite these attributes, the town centre has struggled for many years to overcome its poor 

physical legacy and achieve its potential. The council’s LDF Core Strategy recognises that 

the “regeneration of Archway has been an ambition of the council for a number of years” 

(Section 2.2.1). 

4.7 Section 2.2.3 states that “an increase and retention of retail, leisure and office space in the 

town centre should be delivered through a development process that ensures a vibrant mix 

of uses and which is enabled by creating an attractive and convenient pedestrian 

environment and a well connected network of streets and spaces of the highest quality”. 



4.8 The council has already invested in improving Archway’s built environment and public 

spaces, and the overall viability of the town centre. This investment has included physical 

improvements throughout the town centre, as well as preparation of the Archway 

Development Framework (2007), Transport for London’s investigations towards removing 

the one-way system (2008), and preparation of the Archway Town Centre Delivery Plan 

(2010). These studies have identified opportunities for further improvements, which until 

now had not received any substantial funding to allow for implementation. 

4.9 The three abovementioned studies identified the following opportunities for improvements to 

the streets and public realm in the town centre: 

 

 

 

 

Removing the one-way system 

Reinforcing the high street and existing district centre 

Providing better pedestrian connections through the town centre, to public 

transport, to key infrastructure (such as the Whittington Hospital) and between 

green spaces 

Creating high quality public spaces 

4.10 In public realm terms, the key objectives for Archway Town Centre are: 

 

 

 

 

 

To reinforce the high street and existing district centre 

To improve the quality of the environment for pedestrians 

To remove the barriers to pedestrian movement 

To improve pedestrian connections through the town centre, particularly to the 

island site and other important destinations 

To provide high quality public space 

4.11 The studies also set out a series of proposals to help regenerate the town centre, which 

include providing a range of mixed use development, relocating the library, and 

reconfiguring some of the buildings and connections trough the ‘core site’ (area containing 

Archway Underground station, Hamlyn and Hill Houses, the post office and a number of 

other businesses). 

4.12 The council accepts the continued importance of the A1 as a major traffic route – but the 

negative impacts of traffic on the town centre can be reduced and pedestrian and cyclist 

movements made far safer, particularly through major changes to the one-way system. The 

council is therefore taking forward a gyratory feasibility study with the aim of undertaking 

public consultation on one or more road layout options early in 2012. In addition to taking 

forward the gyratory study and delivering public space improvements, the council is 

allocating considerable investment in delivering wider regeneration by improving the 

physical appearance of the town centre, encouraging local distinctiveness and vitality, and 

supporting local businesses. 

4.13 The council welcomes the Mayor’s decision to allocate funding to Archway from the Outer 

London Fund, recognising the importance of investing in improvements to this town centre. 

4.14 Transport for London’s draft report ‘Taking forward the Mayor’s Transport Strategy 

Accessibility Implementation Plan’ (June 2011) lists Archway station as an indicative stepfree 

station scheme in order to achieve consistent spatial coverage of step-free street to 

platform access at stations across London. No funding has been allocated or is likely to be 

allocated for step-free access to Archway station until after 2031. 



Area-specific transport challenges 

4.15 Fairness 

Poor pedestrian and cycle access to and from surrounding housing estates 

prevents local people from accessing key services and facilities 

Growth 

 

 

Loss of employment as Archway Tower, Hamlyn House and Hill House empty and 

the need to attract new forms of economic activity to the town centre 

Development of 800 to 1400 new homes within the wider Archway area 

Accessibility 

The one-way system is a barrier to movement and negatively impacts on 

pedestrian and cycling accessibility in the Archway area 

Connectivity 

Junction Road and the one-way system negatively impact on connectivity in the 

Archway area 

Junction Road and the one-way system are barriers to pedestrians and cyclists 

Safety 

 

Junction Road and the one-way system have very high numbers of road traffic 

casualties 

Security 

The streetscape and poor quality of the built environment have a negative impact 

on people’s perceptions of personal security and in fact can contribute to instances 

of crime 


Motorised road traffic produces carbon emissions, contributing to climate change 

Pollution 

Motorised road traffic creates air and noise pollution, and has a negative impact on 

the visual amenity of the area 

Committed and potential transport investment 

4.16 Committed transport investment in the Archway area includes: 

Delivery of highly visible improvements to Archway Close and Flower Mews (the 

island in the middle of the one-way-system) to improve this area for pedestrians 

and local businesses and to reduce the dominance of parked vehicles (consultation 

recently undertaken, with works commencing as early as Autumn 2011) 

Upgrade of the Northern Line due for completion in 2014 

Implementation of Cycle Superhighway route CS12 in 2012/13 

4.17 Other potential transport investment being considered or sought for the Archway area in the 

future includes: 

 

 

 

Removal of the one-way system 

Pedestrian crossing across Lower Highgate Hill connecting Archway station with 

the ‘island’ site 

Expansion of the London Cycle Hire scheme 



Step-free street to platform access at Archway station (long term after 2031) 

Finsbury Park District Town Centre 


4.18 Finsbury Park is a district town centre with retail frontages along Seven Sisters Road, 

Stroud Green Road, Blackstock Road and Fonthill Road. The wider Finsbury Park area falls 

within the administrative boundaries of the London Boroughs of Islington, Hackney and 

Haringey, and is widely known for its busy and diverse character. Finsbury Park station is 

the busiest transport interchange in London outside Zone 1, connecting Islington to Central 

London and north east London via the Victoria and Piccadilly Underground lines, and via 

train services to King’s Cross/St Pancras and the City in the south, and to Cambridge and 

Stevenage in the north. Despite budget cuts, London Underground Limited (LUL) has 

allocated some funding to gate Finsbury Park station as a revenue protection measure. This 

will include some improvements to the station façade of Wells Terrace. Islington Council is 

also seeking measures to waterproof the rail bridges at Finsbury park station to prevent 

rainwater leaking on the streets and footways below. 

4.19 Finsbury Park has excellent transport access which is likely to improve in the future. As a 

result of its high levels of connectivity the town centre forms a key gateway to the wider 

area, including the East Anglia Growth Corridor. However, a lack of developable land means 

that the area is unlikely aspire its full potential to support growth and economic 

development. The council believes there may be considerable scope to develop the area 

around the station. This could unlock development sites and enable a more natural layout of 

the town centre. A master planning exercise is needed to understand whether this perceived 

potential is deliverable. 

4.20 Finsbury Park is well served by buses, but the area suffers from high levels of road traffic 

congestion, as well as a lack of sense of place and identity, and negative perceptions of 

personal security. The dominant road network and layout of the area can also make it 

difficult for pedestrians and mobility impaired people in particular to move around within the 

town centre. 

4.21 In the Core Strategy, redevelopment and intensification in the area is supported to provide 

mixed used developments of housing, employment, retail and leisure, with surrounding sites 

being able to provide between 500 to 700 housing units. Islington is working with the 

Hackney and Haringey to improve Finsbury town centre. 

4.22 New developments near Finsbury Park station are required to facilitate an improved and 

less confusing transport interchange location and the wider area, including estates, with a 

high-quality public realm that is more accessible and permeable. There will be improved 

walking and cycling routes through the Finsbury Park area to Highbury Corner and King’s 

Cross and an improved pedestrian environment along Seven Sisters Road to encourage 

people to walk and cycle more, and to improve people’s sense of personal safety. 

4.23 The Mayor’s Transport Strategy (Proposal 11) recognises both the need to relieve 

congestion at Finsbury Park station by providing additional station capacity, and the 

potential for investment in Finsbury Park station to relieve congestion elsewhere on the 

public transport network. 

4.24 The Mayor’s Transport Strategy (Proposal 19) has also identified Finsbury Park 

Underground station as a strategic access and interchange station to the public transport 

network, and TfL will develop and implement a prioritised programme to deliver station 

capacity and accessibility enhancements. 




4.25 Fairness 

High levels of social deprivation in areas less accessible by public transport 

Growth 

Increased employment within the Finsbury Park district town centre 

Increased residential population (minimum of 500-700 additional housing units) 

Additional passenger and interchange as well as increased pedestrian footfall 

resulting from Thameslink upgrade and potentially Crossrail 2 

Capacity 

Underground and mainline rail lines from Finsbury Park to Central London are 

extremely crowded and will remain extremely crowded by 2031, taking into 

consideration committed funding up to 2018 

Thameslink trains stopping at Finsbury Park station 

Busiest transport interchange in London outside Zone 1 

Car-free housing and intensification of leisure, retail and office use will increase 

demand for public transport 

Congestion 

High levels of road traffic cause congestion 

High volumes of buses contribute towards road traffic congestion but also suffer 

service disruption as a result of congestion 

Connectivity 

Finsbury Park district town centre suffers from poor connectivity for pedestrians and 

cyclists due to barriers such the road network and rail infrastructure 

Accessibility 

Finsbury Park station and the surrounding area suffer from a poor layout and built 

environment, causing it to be confusing and physically difficult to navigate 

Transport for London’s plans to upgrade Finsbury Park station, including installation 

of lifts, step-free access and tickets gates, have been suspended and are unlikely 

to be implemented before 2021 

Lack of coordination between Network Rail and London Underground in the 

planning and delivery of step-free access between the rail and underground 

platforms 

Finsbury Park station is not accessible to disabled users and in particular those in 

wheelchairs 

Safety 

 

 

The area is dominated by the road network 

The area suffers from too many road traffic casualties 

Security 

Finsbury Park station and the surrounding area suffer from a poor layout and built 

environment, which negatively impact on people’s sense of personal safety and 

fear of crime 

Finsbury Park station does not have revenue control gates, which encourages fare 

evasion, anti-social behaviour and other criminal activity. As indicated, London 

Underground Limited (LUL) is planning to install revenue gates at Finsbury Park 

Underground station 





Pollution 




4.26 Committed transport investment in the Finsbury Park area includes: 

Finsbury Park safety and environmental improvements 

Connect 2 pedestrian and cycling route 

Arrival of Thameslink at Finsbury Park station in 2018 

Finsbury Park (East Coast Mainline) platform extension and train lengthening 

The Department for Transport’s Access for All programme will complete Finsbury 

Park station accessibility improvement works to National Rail platforms in early 

2014. 

Upgrading the Victoria and Piccadilly lines 

4.27 Other potential transport investment being considered or sought for the Finsbury Park area 

in the future includes: 

Crossrail 2 (Chelsea to Hackney Line) 

Potential medium term congestion relief and step-free access works at Finsbury 

Park Underground platforms by 2020 


A detailed study together with Hackney and Haringey on enhancing the town centre 

and station area 

Nag’s Head Town Centre and Upper Holloway Road 


4.28 The regeneration of the Nag’s Head town centre is guided by the Nag’s Head Town Centre 

Strategy, which was adopted by the council in 2007. The stated objective of the strategy is: 

“To be a thriving and sustainable town centre which, in combination with similar centres in 

the borough, will provide a broad range of goods and services to meet the diverse needs of 

the whole Islington community in the 21 st century. Islington Council and the Nag’s Head 

Town Centre Group will work in partnership with other key stakeholders to retain and 

enhance what is best in the area and make the town centre cleaner, safer and greener, and 

more accessible and attractive.” – Nag’s Head Town Centre Strategy Supplementary 

Planning Document, 2007 

4.29 The Nag’s Head is one of the two major town centres in Islington, along with the Angel, and 

has historically developed along the very heavily trafficked Holloway Road, part of the A1. 

Additional pressure on the area is caused by Camden Road / Tollington Road and Seven 

Sisters Road / Parkhurst Road (the A503 one-way system), which is a busy strategic road 

managed by Transport for London. Camden Road, bordered predominantly by residential 

areas, suffers from a poor physical environment. Many of the buildings along the road are 

set back and do not face the road, and these inactive frontages cause a lack of security due 

to the lack of natural surveillance. 



4.30 Holloway Road also suffers from a poor physical environment and a lack of green space 

with the A1 creating a barrier that divides the town centre. The volume and speed of traffic 

create an environment that is unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists. 

4.31 The LDF Core Strategy policy for the area will provide a continued focus on retail 

opportunities along the main high streets of Holloway Road and Seven Sisters Road. 

Improving the environment for pedestrians and cyclists by making streets less cluttered, 

more inclusive, safer and attractive are key priorities to reduce the negative impacts of traffic 

and develop the Nag’s Head town centre to protect and enhance its historic character. It is 

also a long-term ambition to return the A503 one-way system to normal two-way traffic flow. 

4.32 The Mayor’s Transport Strategy does not specifically mention the Nag’s Head town centre 

or Holloway Road. 

Area-specific transport investment challenges 

4.33 Fairness 


Growth 

 

 

 

The biggest obstacle to the economic development and growth of the Nag’s Head 

and attracting new businesses and customers is the volume of road traffic and the 

physical barrier caused by both the volume of road traffic and the road layout of 

Holloway Road 

Development of the Nag’s Head town centre will create additional pressures on the 

transport network in the area 

The linear character of the area, resulting from historic development along the 

Holloway Road, makes the area vulnerable to increased road traffic, which is often 

just travelling through the town centre without stopping locally 

Congestion 

Even though Holloway Road is six lanes wide in some places, there is heavy road 

traffic congestion in the area. Other congested roads in the area include Camden 

Road, Tollington Road, Parkhurst Road and Seven Sisters Road. 

Street clutter, central reservations and guardrails cause congestion on the footways 

Accessibility 

Pedestrian and cyclist movement is severely restricted by road traffic, the road 

layout, street clutter, central reservations and guard-rails 

There are not enough pedestrian crossings within the town centre 

There is a section of Tollington Road adjacent to Sobell Leisure Centre without a 

footway, and the only pedestrian route is directed over the leisure centre grounds 

Bus services suffer from congestion 

Health 

 

Safety 

 

The volume of road traffic in the area causes negative health impacts for nearby 

residents 

Road safety of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists is 

compromised by car traffic and heavy goods vehicles 

Security 

Camden Road suffers a lack of natural surveillance because of a set-back building 



 

line and frontages of buildings facing away from the street 

The road layout is a physical barrier and restricts movement of pedestrians and 

cyclists, which can make vulnerable road users feel less secure 



Pollution 




4.34 Committed investment in the Nag’s Head and Upper Holloway Road area includes: 

Informal pedestrian crossing on Holloway Road between the junctions with Seven 

Sisters Road / Parkhurst Road and Tollington Road / Camden Road 

Implementation of Cycle Superhighway route CS12 through the town centre on 

Holloway Road in 2012/13 

Piccadilly Line upgrade 

New pedestrian crossing at Holloway Road station 

4.35 Other potential transport investment being considered or sought for the Nag’s head and 

Upper Holloway Road area in the future includes: 

Reduction of the dominance of road traffic, particularly on the A1 

Return the A503 from a one-way system to two-way traffic flow 


Highbury Corner and Lower Holloway Road 


4.36 Highbury Corner is a strategic gateway to Islington for rail and underground passengers 

arriving at Highbury & Islington station. Highbury Corner has been a hub for public transport 

since the early 19 th century, and Highbury & Islington station is now a key transport 

interchange between bus, rail and Underground services. This interchange has recently 

increased in importance with the East London Line extension to Highbury & Islington having 

been completed, improving public transport connections with Dalston, Canary Wharf and 

southeast London, and the upgrade of the North London Line with increased rail services to 

Stratford, Richmond and Clapham Junction. . 

4.37 The physical environment of Highbury Corner itself is dominated by a busy one-way traffic 

system. In addition, the station square at Highbury & Islington station is hidden behind the 

post office building, which makes the pedestrian environment difficult to navigate and 

congested at the best of times. These issues are made worse on match days at Arsenal’s 

Emirates Stadium, alongside additional congestion on Arsenal match days. The southern 

end of Holloway Road at Highbury Corner has a poor pedestrian and cycling environment 

with narrow footways and heavy traffic. 



4.38 Highbury Corner and Highbury & Islington are identified as a priority in the council’s LDF 

Core Strategy. Policy 4A of the Core Strategy on Highbury Corner and Holloway Road 

states: 

“Highbury Corner will be redesigned and improvements made to the station 

frontage and forecourt area, through joint working between the council and 

TfL. This will improve the environment for pedestrians and cyclists, and 

increase access to open green space.” 

4.39 Islington Council has been successful in securing funding from Transport for London’s 

‘Major Schemes’ programme for Highbury Corner. The details of this bid and the schemes 

associated with Highbury Corner are detailed in the following section on Delivering Local 

Transport Improvements. 

4.40 The Mayor’s Transport Strategy indicates that TfL will invest in station capacity 

improvements at Highbury & Islington station, but Highbury Corner and Holloway Road are 

not specifically mentioned. 


4.41 Growth 

The linear character of the area, resulting from historic development along the A1, 

makes the area vulnerable to increased road traffic, which is often just travelling 

through without stopping locally 

Growth in population and economic activity in the area, including continued support 

for retail development along Holloway Road will increase pressure on Highbury & 

Islington station on the already congested A1 

Capacity 

The East London Line now connects Highbury & Islington station with Dalston 

Junction station as part of the Overground orbital rail network around London and 

together with the upgrade of the North London Line there has been a significant 

increase in pedestrian volumes, resulting in crowding during interchange between 

the Underground and Overground (particularly at the escalators), as well as on 

entering and exiting the station. 

The Victoria Line is very crowded (see Figure 9), particularly during morning and 

evening commuting (even after provision of new trains with increased capacity) 

The area is subject to severe disruption on Arsenal match days, requiring additional 

public transport capacity 

Congestion 

The A1 is already congested and the area suffers from additional road traffic 

congestion on match days at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium 

Accessibility 

Accessibility at Highbury Corner and Highbury & Islington station is poor due to the 

limited capacity of the station entrance and forecourt as well as the pedestrian 

routes leading to the station and through the area 

The Highbury Corner one-way system is a barrier pedestrian an cyclist access 

Health 

 


residents 



Safety 

 





Pollution 




4.42 Committed transport investment in the Highbury Corner and Holloway Road area includes: 

London Overground – the recent extension of the East London Line to Highbury & 

Islington station and upgrade of the North London Line 

Station improvements at Highbury & Islington to improve the interchange and to 

help relieve congestion at Central London rail and Underground stations 

Highbury & Islington station – station square improvements (pending the relocation 

of the post office), ticket hall upgrades (funded through Arsenal Section 106 

funding) and separate station entry and exits 

Improved pedestrian crossings on Holloway Road between Highbury Corner and 

Holloway Road Underground station, including improved crossings at Madras 

Place/ Fieldway Crescent and Hornsey Road / Hornsey Street 

Implementation of Cycle Superhighway route CS12 on Holloway Road and Upper 

Street in 2012/13 

Returning the Highbury Corner one-way system to a two-way traffic system, and 

creating a new public space on the western arm and across to the central green 

space in 2013/14. 

4.43 Other potential transport investment being considered or sought for Highbury Corner and 

Holloway Road area in the future includes: 

New station façade at Highbury & Islington station 


Victoria line and Great Northern line (First Capital Connect) congestion relief and 

step-free access from street to platform (by 2020) 

Angel Town Centre and Upper Street 


4.44 The Angel is the most successful town centre in Islington. It is one of the two major town 

centres in Islington, along with the Nag’s Head, and is Islington’s only Business 

Improvement District (BID). In 2004, the council adopted the Angel Town Centre Strategy 

(ATCS) as a Supplementary Planning Guidance document to guide further physical 

development of the area. 

4.45 The Angel plays a significant role in Islington’s retail environment and the night-time 

economy. The council has robust powers in place to ensure that quality of life in the area is 

not undermined. London’s Central Activity Zone (CAZ) was expanded in 2008 to include the 

Angel town centre as part of the main commercial centre of London. 



4.46 Road traffic dominates the Angel to an unacceptable degree. The main roads are managed 

by Transport for London, and the council is working with them to lessen the impact of traffic 

and to improve the environment for pedestrians, cyclists and residents. This is particularly 

necessary around the station and the junction of Islington High Street with City Road / 

Pentonville Road, Goswell Road and St John Street, to reduce the dominance of through 

traffic, and to improve public transport capacity and the overall amenity of the area. 

4.47 The London Cycle Hire scheme was launched in July 2010, and includes a handful of 

docking stations within the town centre. However, due to the Angel’s placement on the edge 

of the scheme area, there is a need for additional Cycle Hire capacity and road and 

pavement space is at a premium within the town centre. 

4.48 The Mayor’s Transport Strategy does not specifically mention Angel town centre or Upper 

Street. However, Angel is on the preferred route for Crossrail 2, which would result in 

significant increase in the accessibility and connectivity of the area. 


4.49 Growth 

 

Continued economic development of Angel town centre 

Capacity 

The Northern Line is subject to very high levels of over-crowding 

Congestion 

The A1 is already congested and the area suffers from road traffic congestion 

which is likely to get worse 

Accessibility 

The junction of City Road / Pentonville Road, St John Street and Islington High 

Street acts as a barrier to pedestrian and cycling accessibility 

Health 

 

Safety 

 


residents 





Pollution 





Committed and potential investment 

4.50 Committed transport investment in the Angel and Upper Street area includes: 

Recently completed improvements to Islington High Street including new pedestrian 

crossing and changes to pavements, traffic, bus stops and loading/servicing. 

Minor improvements to the junction of City Road, St John Street, Pentonville Road 

and Islington High street 

Northern Line upgrade 

Implementation of Cycle Superhighway route CS12 on Upper Street and Islington 

High Street in 2012/13 

4.51 Other potential transport investment being considered or sought for the Angel and Upper 

Street area in the future includes: 

Crossrail 2 

Further expansion of the London Cycle Hire scheme 



4.52 The King's Cross area is undergoing major change, which is set to continue principally due 

to the construction that will take place in Camden on the King's Cross Central railway lands. 

King’s Cross Central is currently on of the largest inner-city development project in western 

Europe. 

4.53 The area is developing both as a transport hub and a key destination. The proposals 

comprise a new mixed-use development including a university, 1,700 residential units, 650 

units for student housing, over 450,000sqm for business and employment, over 45,000sqm 

for retail and food and drink outlets, over 70,000sqm for community use, over 28,000sqm for 

leisure, the creation of three new public squares and major investment in the public 

transport interchange at King’s Cross and St Pancras stations. The ‘Triangle’ site in the 

north-eastern corner falls partly in Islington and will provide 246 new homes. 

4.54 Islington's neighbourhoods facing the railway lands, including their streets and public 

spaces, will be affected by these changes. The improvements to King’s Cross station will 

have positive impacts on the surrounding areas. Opportunities exist to improve the street 

environment, including key routes such as Caledonian Road, York Way, Copenhagen Street 

and the pedestrian links east-west from Barnsbury to the northern part of the King's Cross 

Central site via the Bemerton Estate. There is furthermore a desire to remove the King's 

Cross one-way traffic system and re-introduce two-way traffic where possible. 

4.55 The council's LDF Core Strategy Policy 6 sets out the council's spatial vision for the King's 

Cross area, including aspirations for growth in office and employment space, location of 

shopping areas, improved east-west links, and the character of the area, all of which form 

the guiding principles for the council's aspiration to improve the transport environment and 

public spaces in the area. 



4.56 Transport related objectives fro the King’s Cross area: 

Increase permeability and connectivity through the area, and links between King’s 

Cross Central and Islington 

Reduce the dominance of cars on York Way and Caledonian Road, especially by 

investigating changes to the one-way system 

Improve the environment for pedestrians and cyclists 

Improve the public realm, specifically along York Way and Caledonian Road, 

around Bingfield Park and along Copenhagen Street 

Improve access to the Regent's Canal 

4.57 The London Cycle Hire scheme was launched in July 2010, and includes a handful of 

docking stations around King’s Cross. However, there is a need for additional Cycle Hire 

capacity around the station, particularly within Islington, and finding space in such a busy 

area as King’s Cross is very difficult. 

4.58 Due to the recent major station upgrades at King’s Cross and St Pancras stations, the 

Mayor’s Transport Strategy does not commit to any further significant improvements in the 

King’s Cross area. 

4.59 The latest DfT proposal is for HS2 high-speed rail services from the North to terminate at 

Euston station. This proposal would potentially lead to additional congestion at St Pancras 

unless investment is made to provide a more direct link between HS2 and HS1 for highspeed 

rail services to mainland Europe. The council generally supports the idea of linking 

HS1 and HS2. However, North London Line capacity now and in the future should not be 

affected and detailed consideration is needed to protect against this potential effect. 

4.60 Network Rail’s ‘London and South East Rail Utilisation Strategy’ examined gaps in capacity 

that may exist in 2031, and assumed that HS2 would be included among the improvements 

implemented by 2031 although funding is currently uncommitted. Considering that there will 

still be gaps in capacity in 2031 even if this currently uncommitted investment is made, HS2 

is clearly a high-priority investment. The council supports the increase in capacity for the 

orbital routes that affect Islington and notes the growth and potential for growth along the 

North London Line corridor. 


4.61 Fairness 


Growth 

 

Intensification and large-scale population and employment growth 

Capacity 

Underground services at King’s Cross and St Pancras stations are already at 

capacity following recent upgrades 

Congestion 

High volumes of road traffic causing congestion 

Buses sometimes suffer service disruption as a result of congestion 

Accessibility 

The railways and heavily trafficked road network, and in particular the one-way 

system, create barriers to movement, especially for pedestrians and cyclists 



Connectivity 

A lack of connectivity between King’s Cross Central and Islington’s neighbourhoods 

east of York Way, largely as a result of the large housing estates (e.g. Bemerton 

Estate and Delhi Outram Estate) which do not conform with the traditional street 

pattern 

Health 

 

Safety 

 


residents 



Security 

Poor-quality public realm, lack of sense of place and perceived personal safety 

risks 



Pollution 




4.62 Committed transport investment in the King’s Cross area includes: 

King’s Cross and Caledonian Road safety and environmental scheme 

Two-way traffic between Caledonia Street and Wharfdale Road 

York Way environmental improvements between Pentonville Road and Wharfdale 

Road 

4.63 Other potential transport investment being considered or sought for the King’s Cross area in 

the future includes: 

Crossrail 2 – Chelsea to Hackney Line 


Bunhill and Clerkenwell 


4.64 The Bunhill and Clerkenwell area is Islington’s most important employment area and is also 

home to a large number of residents. Both employment and population are expected to grow 

considerably over the next fifteen years. The area is subject to a detailed spatial policy 

framework through the draft ‘Bunhill and Clerkenwell Area Action Plan’, which aims to 

‘create safe, attractive, usable and accessible streets, public spaces and transport 

networks’. As stated in the plan: 

“An objective of the Area Action Plan is to improve streets and public spaces in a manner 

that promotes walking and cycling, encourages people to spend time outdoors, creates an 

interesting and varied street environment, improves accessibility and safety, reduces car 

dependence and supports the creation of a high-quality public transport system. This 

includes transferring vehicle-dominated spaces, such as car parks, to other uses”’ 

Draft Bunhill and Clerkenwell Area Action Plan (November 2010) 



4.65 The arrival of Crossrail and much improved Thameslink services at Farringdon will greatly 

increase the area’s accessibility and connectivity by public transport, making Farringdon 

station the only station in London where passengers can interchange between Crossrail, 

Thameslink and Underground services. However, whilst the interchanges between Crossrail 

and Thameslink and between London Underground and Thameslink are relatively good, the 

interchange between Crossrail and London Underground has been poorly designed, 

requiring passengers to exit and re-enter the station. Whilst this major investment in 

transport in the area must be seen as a positive in terms of London-wide connectivity, there 

is currently likely to be relatively little benefit for the surrounding area. 

4.66 There is some potential for development over the new Thameslink station. The council is 

working closely with Network Rail to ensure that any development that is taken forward does 

not lead to unacceptable impacts on the local area, and provides additional investment to 

mitigate any resulting impacts. 

4.67 The area’s built form, density, traditional street layout and central location make the area 

easily accessible for pedestrians and cyclists. Despite low car ownership, some streets and 

roads in the area are dominated by traffic and vehicles, thus reducing its attractiveness. 

Much of this road traffic is through traffic, which provides little or no economic benefit and 

contributes to poor air quality. Underground, rail and bus services in the area are congested 

at peak times and are in need of investment, in particular at Farringdon and Old Street 

stations. Islington is currently undertaking the Farringdon Urban Design Study. 

4.68 Cycling in the area has increased over recent years, highlighting the need to expand safe 

cycle routes and secure cycle parking in the area. The launch of the London Cycle Hire 

scheme in July 2010 brought many docking stations to the area, and the scheme is already 

highly successful in terms of membership growth and cycle hire usage. This has led to a 

need for more cycle hire docking stations in the area. 


4.69 Growth 

 

Crossrail and employment and population growth will bring additional pressure to 

the Bunhill and Clerkenwell area 

Capacity 

Crossrail will bring significant transport capacity to the area, but this will in turn put 

pressure on the interchange capacity of the station and on other modes of transport 

in the area 

The Northern Line upgrade will enhance its capacity, but the entrance to Old Street 

station is already constrained and suffers from a very poor station environment, a 

situation which is likely to get worse with the upgrade of the Northern Line 

Increased demand for already high levels of relatively short cycling journeys in the 

area 

Congestion 

Economic and population growth will cause additional congestion on the transport 

network, and especially on the road network 

Connectivity 

Although Crossrail will greatly improve connecting to the rest of London, 

connectivity within the local area will experience additional pressure 



Health 

 

Safety 

 

 

The volume of road traffic in the area impacts negatively on residents’ health 



Despite the road network being heavily trafficked, there is a major residential 

population, with lots of children accessing schools and other vulnerable residents 

accessing other facilities 



Pollution 



Committed and potential investment 

4.70 Committed transport investment in the Bunhill and Clerkenwell area includes: 

A new Crossrail station at Farringdon/Barbican, and close to Old Street station at 

Moorgate 

Thameslink upgrade to bring additional trains into Farringdon station, creating a 

very important strategic rail interchange with Crossrail 

Capacity enhancements on the Northern Line through Old Street station 

4.71 Other potential transport investment being considered or sought for the Bunhill and 

Clerkenwell area in the future includes: 

Old Street station redevelopment 

Removal of the one-way system at Old Street and City Road (the roundabout) 

DLR extension to King’s Cross / Euston via a proposed new station at ‘Clerkenwell’ 




5.0 Delivering Local Transport Improvements 

5.1 The previous section outlined the transport challenges faced in each of Islington’s LDF Core 

Strategy key areas, as well as the opportunities for future improvement. This section sets 

out the council’s potential funding sources for implementing transport improvements, the 

prioritisation process for directing transport investment, and the kind of interventions that will 

be considered. The three-year delivery plan for Islington’s Local Implementation Plan for 

2011/12 to 2013/14 sets out the timing and costs of individual schemes. 

Potential funding sources 

5.2 Understanding the potential funding sources and associated levels of funding that is or 

might be available is an essential consideration in programming and prioritising transport 

investment in the borough. Table 14 shows the likely funding sources that will contribute 

towards Islington’s three-year LIP delivery plan covering 2011/12 to 2013/14. 

Table 14: Potential funding sources 

Funding source 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 Total 

Integrated 

transport 

(£’000) (£’000) (£’000) (£’000) 

TfL LIP funding 2,195 2,109 1,823 6,127 

Council capital 

funding 

0 0 0 0 

Developers 

contributions (S106) 

1,500 1,500 1,500 4,500 

Sustrans grant 

funding 

0 600 0 600 

Growth Area 

Funding 

600 300 0 900 

TfL Major Schemes 

funding 

0 0 0 0 

Maintenance 

TfL LIP allocation 

funding (principal 

249 325 tbd 254 

roads only) 

Council capital 

funding 

1,400 tbd tbd 1,400 

Transport for London (TfL) LIP funding 

5.3 All local authorities in London receive LIP funding from Transport for London in accordance 

with the Greater London Authority (GLA) Act 1999. Following the Government’s 

Comprehensive Spending Review in 2010, Transport for London reduced Islington’s LIP 

funding allocation by 4% to just under £2.2 million for 2011/12, to £2.1 million for 2012/13, 

and to £1.8 million for 2013/14. According to a recent announcement, TfL may return some 

of these funds to boroughs in the form of funding for 2012/13 and 2013/14. 



Council capital funding 

5.4 Due to the substantial overall budget cuts faced by Islington Council following the 

Government’s spending review in 2010, the council has been unable to allocate much 

capital funding towards its LIP delivery plan. However, £1.4 million of council capital has 

been allocated towards improving footway and carriageway conditions on borough roads in 

2011/12. The council reviews its spending priorities annually, so additional capital funding 

may be allocated to highway maintenance and other transport improvements in 2012/13 and 

2013/14. 

Developers contributions (S106) 

5.5 The council secures funding from developers to address the negative impacts of new 

development. These ‘planning obligations’, secured through Section 106 of the Town and 

Country Planning Act (1990), often include funding to enhance the borough’s streets and 

public spaces, and to ensure that population growth does not lead to increased traffic 

congestion, parking pressures, air pollution or carbon emissions. 

5.6 The sums listed in table 14 are indicative only, based on the funding levels received and 

spent in recent financial years. In addition, the exact schemes that will be allocated Section 

106 funding over the next three years will depend on the developments that are granted 

planning permission, and that actually progress to implementation (the point when most 

Section 106 obligations are ‘triggered’). At the moment, the majority of Islington’s 

development tends to occur in the south of the borough, meaning that if these trends 

continue, the bulk of Section 106 funding for transport improvements is likely to be spent in 

the south of the borough. 

5.7 In addition, impending changes to planning legislation including the new ‘Community 

Infrastructure Levy’ will affect how much Section 106 funding can be secured and allocated 

to transport-related schemes, and which schemes can be delivered with this funding. 

Sustrans grant funding 

5.8 Sustrans has allocated £600k towards the implementation of a new Connect2 walking and 

cycling route connecting Highbury Corner and Finsbury Park via Highbury Fields and 

Gillespie Park. 

Growth Area Funding 

5.9 Growth Area funding supports the delivery of infrastructure in growth areas. Islington 

Council was successful in its application for growth funding by demonstrating that 

investment in infrastructure would unlock housing growth in the borough. The council’s 

Executive agreed a £900k allocation towards transport investment in Archway across the 

first two years of the LIP delivery plan. 

Transport for London (TfL) Major Schemes funding 

5.10 TfL Major Schemes funding has been secured to allow improvements at Highbury Corner to 

be designed and consultation to be carried out. Because Highbury Corner is part of the 

Transport for London Road Network (TLRN), TfL are leading on design and consultation of 

the scheme rather than granting funding to Islington Council. There is currently no further 

confirmed funding from this programme area, but additional Major Scheme bids are under 

consideration by TfL as discussed later in this section. 



Transport for London (TfL) LIP maintenance funding 

5.11 All local authorities in London receive an annual allocation for principal road maintenance 

from Transport for London. Islington’s allocation for 2011/12 was announced in 2010, and 

the 2012/13 allocation was announced in 2011. The allocation for 2013/14 will be 

announced in 2012. 

5.12 Transport for London LIP maintenance funding towards principal road maintenance in the 

borough has declined over recent years, as has council funding towards road maintenance. 

Between 2007/08 and 2011/12, overall funding for principal road maintenance has dropped 

from £2.18 million to £249,000 (an 89% reduction). 

5.13 In the period 2007/08 to 2009/10, the percentage length of the principal road network in poor 

overall condition and requiring maintenance dropped from 13.4% to 4.9% – a 63% 

reduction. It is envisaged that due to the reduction in funding available for principal road 

maintenance, the percentage of principal roads requiring maintenance will increase, as 

funding currently committed will only benefit one location in Islington (the junction of Stroud 

Green Road / Crouch Hill with Hanley Road / Stapleton Hall Road – see paragraph 5.67). 

Selecting and prioritising local transport interventions 

5.14 Islington’s methodology for prioritising local transport improvements is not a uniform one. In 

preparation for this transport strategy, the council has prepared a database of potential local 

transport improvement schemes and assessed each potential scheme against the following 

criteria: 

 

 

 

 

 

Can the scheme be delivered within the timescale during which TfL LIP funding is 

available? 

To what extent is the council dependent on external partners for delivery? 

To what extent is the scheme related to other (committed) projects? 

How well does the proposal support the council’s LDF Core Strategy, Sustainable 

Community Strategy and the Mayor’s Transport Strategy? 

How well does the scheme contribute towards the council’s fairness agenda? 

5.15 Subsequently, schemes have been assessed against: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deprivation data 

Road traffic casualty data 

Analysis of Islington’s transport environment 

Islington’s spatial strategy in the Core Strategy 

Contribution to achieving Islington’s transport and regeneration objectives 

Islington’s contribution towards achieving the goals of the Mayor’s Transport 

Strategy at borough level 

The Strategic Environmental Assessment for this strategy 

The Equality Impact Assessment for this strategy 

5.16 The highest priority schemes were allocated funding in particular financial years to ensure 

that the necessary staff resources were available, and so that schemes did not interfere with 

each other or with other major events such as the Olympics. This process led to the final LIP 

delivery plan as set out in this strategy. 

5.17 As already indicated, many of the proposed local transport interventions will be delivered in 

partnership or in consultation with partners and local stakeholders. Larger schemes in 

particular are delivered with the assistance of partners, such as Transport for London, public 



transport operators and neighbouring boroughs. For example, a complicated intervention 

like removing the gyratory at Highbury Corner requires the input of Transport for London in 

terms of their management of this part of the TfL Road Network (TLRN), as well as potential 

impacts on buses, Underground and rail. 

5.18 All individual interventions require some form of consultation or partnership. Organisations 

consulted as part of this strategy are also consultees or partners when it comes to individual 

interventions, as well as ward councillors and local residents. 

5.19 Road maintenance is prioritised based on the Detailed Visual Inspection (DVI) data supplied 

for each borough to Transport for London by the London Borough of Hammersmith and 

Fulham. Roads that that are in the worst condition are prioritised, taking into account other 

scheduled works to the highway such as works to services beneath the road surface such 

as water mains, as well as planned improvement schemes. 

Links between objectives and interventions 

5.20 Islington Council will be delivering interventions to ensure that its LIP delivery plan 

contributes towards the achievement of the borough transport objectives set out in this 

strategy. All the interventions contained in this transport strategy are listed in the delivery 

plan (programme of investment), and table 15 shows examples of how interventions help to 

achieve Islington’s borough transport objectives. In addition, paragraphs 5.21 to 5.25 

provide more detail on the various types of interventions. 

‘Better Streets’ schemes 

5.21 ‘Better Streets’ schemes are regeneration and economic development schemes that will be 

delivered as part of Islington’s Transport Strategy. These interventions will have a focus on 

creating a efficient, safe, secure, healthy and vibrant transport environment for 

pedestrians and cyclists, in particular helping to achieve Islington’s targets to increase the 

mode shares for walking and cycling. Street trees will be introduced as part of enhancement 

schemes where possible. To create a fair transport environment, enhancements will also 

include accessibility improvements such as improved pedestrian crossings and removal of 

guardrails and other street clutter. Major schemes contribute to delivering to the Mayor of 

London’s ‘Better Streets’ agenda. 

Road safety improvements 

5.22 Road traffic casualty data shows that there are higher numbers of people killed or seriously 

injured in road traffic accidents in areas of higher deprivation. Road safety improvements 

such as traffic calming measures and improved pedestrian crossings will be delivered in 

these locations to create a transport environment that is fair and safe. 

Interchange improvements 

5.23 To make Islington’s transport environment more efficient and support regeneration and 

economic development, improvements will be made at local interchanges between buses, 

Underground and rail services. Improvements to station entrances, access to stations and 

public realm improvements around stations will be delivered at locations such as Highbury & 

Islington, Archway, Old Street and Finsbury Park. 

Smarter travel measures 

5.24 Islington will continue to deliver a number of Smarter Travel initiatives including free cycle 

training for children and adults, school travel planning advice and road safety education. 



These measures will help to make Islington’s transport environment more fair, safe and 

healthy. 

5.25 Transport for London Major Schemes 

Major Schemes provide benefits to the wider area and sub-region and contribute to the 

Mayor’s ‘Better Streets’ agenda. Islington’s Major Scheme submissions (Highbury Corner, 

Archway and Old Street) all have a common denominator, which is the removal of one-way 

systems. Islington’s Major Schemes contribute to all of the borough’s transport objectives. 

Removal of the one-way systems will make Islington’s transport environment fair, healthy 

and safe by improving the accessibility of the road network and the pubic realm for 

pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users. Road traffic flows will become more 

efficient, reducing congestion and vehicle delay. The investment in the public realm will 

make these locations more vibrant, and more secure for all. 

Table 15: How interventions contribute to Islington’s transport objectives 

Islington’s transport objectives 

Fair – Everyone in the borough will be able 

to access opportunities and services 

Efficient – Islington’s limited road space 

and public transport capacity will be 

managed to reduce crowding, congestion 

and unreliability 

Safe – Road dangers will be minimised, 

ensuring that fewer people are injured or 


Secure – Crime and the fear of crime will be 

reduced on Islington’s streets, housing 

estates and public transport network 

Vibrant – Streetscape and public realm 

improvements will contribute towards 

regeneration and local economic recovery 

and growth 

Healthy – More active forms of travel will be 

encouraged, and the negative 

environmental impacts of travel, especially 

on Islington’s poorer communities, will be 

reduced 

Examples of delivery plan interventions 

(and end dates within the duration of the 

delivery plan) 

Cycle training and road safety education 

(ongoing), treatment of casualty hotspots 

near areas of higher deprivation, such as the 

Hornsey Road area as part of the Hornsey 

Road safety and environmental scheme 

(2014) 

Highbury Corner gyratory removal and public 

realm improvements (2014) 

Borough-wide road safety schemes such as 

improved junction layouts (2014) 

Hornsey Road safety and environmental 

scheme, improved and wider footways, and 

removal of street clutter (2014) 

Highbury & Islington station square, 

improvements, improved public realm with 

more space for pedestrians to accommodate 

higher passenger numbers at Highbury & 

Islington station, in particular on match days 

at the Emirates Stadium 

School travel and cycle training programmes 

(ongoing), 20 mph speed limit on main roads 

(on a street-by-street basis, subject to 

funding and Traffic Management Orders) 



Programme of Investment 

5.26 The transport improvements outlined in this strategy will be funded through a range of 

funding sources as described in Table 15. The programme of investment (delivery plan) sets 

out the actual levels of funding currently allocated to each scheme. The exact costs for 

delivering these local transport improvements may change as more is known about the 

necessary measures to be implemented, so the amounts shown are subject to change. More 

detailed cost estimates will be prepared as part of upcoming funding bids and during scheme 

development. 

5.27 All London local authorities will be required to prepare a new LIP delivery plan in 2013 for 

the period covering 2014/15 to 2016/17. Targets will also be updated at this time. 



Table 16: Islington council’s programme of investment, 2011/12 to 2013/14 





Archway one-way system and public realm improvements 

The one-way system 

5.28 The investigation into removing the Archway one-way system involved carrying out a 

number of baseline traffic, passenger and pedestrian surveys that helped inform initial 

modelling work. The study examined twelve high level concepts and 70 options / variations 

to the concept themes. The initial modelling work and assessments indicate that two options 

have viable business cases. These are concepts F (Omega) and J. Option F diverts the A1 

to the east and retains the connection between Junction Road and Highgate Hill. Concept J 

diverts the north-eastern section of Junction Road onto Vorley Road and MacDonald Road, 

creating a more pedestrian-friendly environment around Archway Underground station. This 

section of Junction Road and Lower Highgate Hill would be closed to through traffic, with the 

exception of buses. 

5.29 Although it is the council’s longstanding aspiration to remove the one-way system, it is 

recognised that there is currently not enough confirmed funding to implement this project. 

Therefore, a series of short to medium-term solutions have been identified to improve the 

quality of the town centre environment and connections for pedestrians. If the council is able 

to secure additional funding towards improving Archway, the proposal to remove the oneway 

system will be pursued. The short and medium-term measures are detailed below. 

Short and medium-term measures 

5.30 Improved connections to the ‘island site’ (Archway Close / Flower Mews) 

The island space is located in the middle of the one-way system, the ‘island’ reference 

reflecting its poor connectivity to other areas due to the wide carriageway surrounding the 

site, dominance of vehicles and poor pedestrian crossing facilities. The island site 

accommodates a number of buildings, including the Archway Methodist Church, the 

Archway Tavern, cafes and other businesses. There is no pedestrian crossing that extends 

over Lower Highgate Hill connecting this space to Archway Underground station and the 

rest of the town centre. As a result, many pedestrians are forced to cross over three arms of 

the junction (Lower Highgate Hill, St John’s Way, Holloway Road and Junction Road). To 

address this issue, it is proposed to provide a pedestrian crossing over Lower Highgate Hill. 

A number of different types of crossings are currently under investigation to identify the most 

suitable crossing. 

5.31 Public realm improvements to Archway Close and Flower Mews 

A local street extends through the middle of the island, the bottom section named Archway 

Close and the top section named Flowers Mews. Approximately 21 kerbside car parking 

spaces (110 metres) extend on both sides of the street. These provide a mix of pay-anddisplay, 

business permit and resident permit parking. This space is currently dominated by 

vehicles, with a large proportion of space allocated to the carriageway and on-street parking. 

Although the pub has provided an outdoor seating area, the cafes and restaurants on the 

east side of this street front a narrow footway, which prevents them from doing the same. 

Local stakeholders have expressed a clear desire to improve this public space. At this point 

there are two options for how this space can be configured: 

 

 

Raise the carriageway to footway level and create a shared space 

Relocate all of the parking to the northern section of the site and create a new 

public square at the southern section 



5.32 Footway improvements along Junction Road 

Junction Road currently suffers from cluttered and congested footways, particularly towards 

the north-eastern end of Junction Road. To improve this space, two main measures are 

proposed: 

Improving footways, in particular between the station entrance and the post office 

Removing guardrails and street clutter where possible 

Finsbury Park safety and environmental scheme 

5.33 The following measures are under consideration, aiming to create a seismic shift in the 

quality and perception of the local area, and to support regeneration: 

Improvements for pedestrians and cyclists 

Improvements to the park entrances 

Improvements to local streets surrounding the station (e.g. Clifton Terrace, Well's 

Terrace, Goodwin Street, etc) 

Improvements to the area under the railway bridges 

Improvements to Station Place by redeveloping the triangle area east of Station 

Place (long-term aspiration) 

Highbury Corner one-way system and Highbury & Islington station 

5.34 As discussed earlier in the strategy, Highbury Corner and Highbury & Islington 

station are identified as a priority in the council’s LDF Core Strategy, and make up 

one of seven key areas of the borough for which there are specific spatial policies for 

managing growth and change during the plan period. 

5.35 The council’s objective for the one-way system is “to deliver major improvements to the 

roundabout at Highbury Corner to ensure that it is less dominated by motorised traffic and to 

improve the station facilities” (Islington’s Core Strategy). The aspirations for Highbury 

Corner were also included in the Highbury Corner and Highbury & Islington Station Planning 

Framework (adopted as an SPG in 2004). 

5.36 The proposed programme (see below) supports the regeneration of the Highbury Corner 

area and aims to: 

Transform Highbury Corner into a distinctive and attractive place 

Reduce the dominance of traffic by the removal of one arm of the one-way system 

Create an improved public transport interchange 

Improve the area as a public space 

Make the area safer and more attractive for pedestrians and cyclists 

Make it easier for people to access the green spaces of Highbury Fields, the central 

island green space and Compton Terrace Gardens 

5.37 The five major phases of the Highbury Corner Transport Interchange Programme are 

detailed below. 

London Rail Overground improvements 

5.38 Improvements have recently been made to the North London Line (NLL) platforms for East 

London Line operations, including provision of new NLL platforms. The improvements 

included additional circulation space on the platform side of the gate line. East London Line 

services have now begun serving Highbury & Islington station. 



London Underground station ticket hall upgrade and new station façade 

5.39 The ‘core works’ improvements consist of a new Station Operations Room, which was 

recently completed. The ‘non-core works’ will consist of additional circulation space, 

construction of a dedicated exit hall and new gate lines. Design for the non-core works has 

been developed to RIBA stage D. The upgrade of the station façade will complement the 

core and non-core works once they are completed. Preliminary design options have been 

developed for the station façade. 

Highbury & Islington station square improvements 

5.40 The council has also developed proposals for a new station square outside Highbury & 

Islington station. This would require the demolition of the post office building. These 

proposals remain uncertain until Post Office Ltd has reviewed its plans for future post office 

operations in this part of Islington. There is also currently no certainty of funding. 

5.41 The RIBA stage C design for the new station square includes new paving, lighting and 

benches. There could also be a retail kiosk, anti-terrorism bollards and cycle parking, 

depending on stakeholder consultation. The council would ideally remove these elements to 

achieve the primary objective, which is to free up as much space as possible and allow for 

greater pedestrian permeability. 

The one-way system and urban realm improvements 

5.42 The closure of the western arm of the one-way system would create a new public space 

extending from Highbury & Islington station to the top of Upper Street. Traffic would be 

routed around the other three arms of the one-way system, but the western arm would 

remain open to buses, cyclists and pedestrians. This would provide a space where buses 

can interchange in one primary location, rather than the large number of stops dotted 

around the one-way system, improving orientation for passengers and bus journey times. 

The proposals will maintain the capacity of the road system, but would redress the balance 

between motorised vehicles and pedestrians and cyclists. 

5.43 The closure of the western arm could also open up the green space in the centre of the 

roundabout, which is currently inaccessible. The proposed scheme would improve its setting 

and accessibility by allowing pedestrians to walk across a new shared space directly to the 

green space. At this stage it has not been decided what level of access (if any) should be 

provided to the green space. The green space is an arboretum, which contains an 

exceptional collection of trees. 

5.44 A summary of the proposed improvements include the following: 

A new shared space for buses, cyclists and pedestrians on the western arm of the 

roundabout linking to the new station forecourt (and two-way flow around the other 

arms of the one-way system) 

Enlarged and improved pedestrian areas and improved pedestrian crossings 

Delivery of a critical part of Cycle Superhighway route 12, with direct north-south 

cycle access through the shared space western arm, and advanced stop lines at 

each junction of the one-way system 

Relocation of bus stops closer to the station for improved bus-rail interchange 

New pavements, street furniture, and lighting 

Mitigating measures in surrounding local streets 

Some form of public access to the central island green space 



5.45 The council has been working with Transport for London since 2006 to investigate the 

removal of the roundabout. Public consultation in 2007/08 showed a clear preference for the 

removal of the western arm of the roundabout. This option has therefore been further 

developed by Transport for London. 

London Underground step-free access and congestion relief 

5.46 Step-free access to the Victoria Line and First Capital Connect platforms, including an 

additional station entrance on the east side of Holloway Road, forms part of a longer-term 

strategy. Transport for London’s current business plan states that these works will be carried 

out by 2021, subject to funding availability. 

King’s Cross and Caledonian Road safety and environmental scheme 

5.47 The King’s Cross and Caledonian Road safety and environmental scheme covers the 

largest area of all the projects making up the delivery plan. Due to the scale of the 

development and the rapid change in the area, as well as the need to address road safety 

and deprivation, more detailed analysis of the issues and potential solutions will be required 

in order to identify the most suitable measures to be delivered. 

5.48 So far, the transport-related objectives that have been identified include: 

Increasing permeability and connectivity through the area, and links between King’s 

Cross Central and Islington 

Reducing the dominance of cars on York Way and Caledonian Road, especially by 

investigating changes to the one-way system 

Improving the environment for pedestrians and cyclists and reducing the number of 

road traffic incidents 

Improving the public realm, specifically along York Way and Caledonian Road, 

around Bingfield Park and along Copenhagen Street 

Improving access to the Regent's Canal 

Old Street 

5.49 The council has been working with Transport for London and the London Borough of 

Hackney for some years to take forward proposals to improve the area around Old Street 

roundabout in the south of the borough. The proposals include the removal of the closure of 

the north-western arm of the roundabout and improvements to the station entrance. The 

proposals are a response to the substantial economic and population growth in the area, as 

well as much needed enhancement of the urban environment. 

5.50 The closure of the north-western arm of the roundabout would involve introducing two-way 

working for the remainder of the roundabout. The closed arm would become the station 

forecourt, leading to the main station entrance at the centre of the roundabout. The station 

forecourt would be integrated with the ‘Promenade of Light’ public space. The proposals 

would also improve pedestrian and cycling routes and rationalise bus stops in the area. 

Hornsey Road safety and environmental scheme 

5.51 The Hornsey Road safety and environmental scheme will deliver improvements to remove 

road traffic casualty hotspots and barriers to walking and cycling in the area from Emirates 

Stadium to the northern borough boundary, including Hornsey Rise. Road traffic casualties 

occur along this corridor, which is flanked by a number of deprived areas. Treatments are 

likely to include traffic calming measures, pedestrian crossing improvements, footway 

widening, cycle permeability and a review of signal requirements. 



Connect2 Route 

5.52 The Islington Connect2 Route, a new walking and cycling route connecting green spaces 

between Finsbury Park and Highbury Corner, is one of 79 schemes UK-wide in the Sustrans 

Connect2 project, which won £50 million of Big Lottery funding in 2007. All Connect2 

schemes are to be delivered by March 2013. 

5.53 Sustrans’ Connect2 project aims to encourage people to travel in ways that benefit their 

health and the environment, as well as creating a sense of community pride. In Islington, the 

council’s strategy for the Finsbury Park area supports improved pedestrian links and public 

realm along the alignment of the Islington Connect2 Route. Policy 2E of the council’s LDF 

Core Strategy also supports the Islington Connect2 Route improvements. 

5.54 The council’s objectives for the Islington Connect2 Route are as follows: 

To increase walking and cycling for recreation and pleasure 

To reduce the actual and perceived dangers from road traffic faced by pedestrians 

and cyclists 

To recognise the street as a piece of public open space 

To rethink the road and establish a shared spaces for pedestrians, cyclists and 

vehicles 

To create a route that is inclusive and accessible for all 

To establish a legible route with a clear identity 

5.55 In 2008, the council commissioned a Strategic Route Design for the Islington Connect2 

Route. The development of the design included engagement with local stakeholders, which 

created the vision for the route and design ideas for walking and cycling improvements 

along the route. The design ideas that have been considered for implementation include 

shared spaces at key locations, footway widening and build-outs, improvements to park 

entrances and footpaths, and additional cycle parking. 

5.56 Crossings and bridges are the focal point of each Connect2 scheme. The focal point (or 

‘missing link’) in Islington is the crossing of Seven Sisters Road in Finsbury Park. The 

council is working in partnership with Transport for London to agree a suitable design 

solution for Seven Sisters Road, as the road is managed by TfL. The proposed option would 

provide wider crossings for pedestrians and cyclists, more space for pedestrians and 

cyclists on the west side of St Thomas’s Road (shared use), and a new public space. This 

option has been approved ‘in principle’ by Transport for London. However further 

consultation is required before formal approval is decided. If Transport for London and 

stakeholders do not formally approve the proposed option, the council may not be eligible 

for Connect2 funding. 

5.57 The council has consulted stakeholders on a list of potential improvement schemes for the 

route outside of Finsbury Park, which covers Gillespie Park, St Thomas’s Road, Gillespie 

Road, Drayton Park, Arvon Road, Ronalds Road and Highbury Place. Once agreed, the 

shortlist of improvement schemes will be designed, consulted with residents, and 

implemented by 2013. The shortlist could include footway reconstruction and widening 

where possible, improvements to park footpaths and cycle lanes, a new pedestrian crossing, 

raised crossovers and cycle parking at key destinations. 



Borough-wide road safety schemes 

5.58 Islington closely monitors road traffic incidents and casualties. Borough-wide road safety 

schemes will address specific locations, mainly on principal roads, where there are high 

numbers of road traffic casualties but where other funding is not available to address the 

issues. Possible locations for schemes in year one include the junctions of Caledonian Road 

and Hillmarton Road, and Old Street / Clerkenwell Road and Goswell Road. 

Scootability 

5.59 The council will continue to provide the Scootability service, an electric mobility scooter loan 

scheme. Scootability is an award-winning service that offers the short-term loan of Personal 

Mobility Vehicles such as scooters and power-chairs to residents of Islington (aged 16+) 

who have mobility impairments. 

5.60 Personal mobility is a key component of independent living and quality of life. Scootability 

delivers mobility scooters to the homes of people with mobility impairments for up to three 

days. The scheme provides mobility for people who have difficulty accessing public 

transport, and allows them to access local shopping areas, leisure facilities, health services, 

or just visit family or friends, requiring less support from carers. Training on vehicle use, 

home safety assessment and related support are also provided as part of this service. 

Route 812 Hail-and-Ride 

5.61 The council will continue to run the 812 accessible ‘Hail and Ride’ bus service, to help fill the 

gap between community transport services and the mainstream bus service. The singledecker 

buses used for the 812 have low floors and ramps, and are wheelchair accessible. 

On its route, the bus can be hailed at bus stops or anywhere on its route where it is safe for 

the driver to take on passengers. The service is available for anyone to use. 

5.62 Many older people and disabled people cannot use mainstream buses because they are too 

far away, drivers fail to stop the bus right against the kerb, and they simply cannot risk a fall 

when a driver pulls away from the stop before they have reached their seat. The Hail-and- 

Ride service provides a model that could make the entire London bus network far more 

accessible if rolled out. In the short-term, the service provides much needed access to 

community centres, health services and other local facilities people in the south of Islington. 

Smarter Travel 

5.63 The council will continue to provide a number of ‘Smarter Travel’ initiatives to encourage 

people to walk, cycle and use public transport. Smarter travel aims to contribute towards 

healthier lifestyles, reduce car use and congestion and increase road safety awareness. The 

individual initiatives are discussed in more detail below, and include: 

Cycle training 





Cycle training 

5.64 The council will continue to offer free cycle training courses to all residents, employees and 

students based in Islington. The training offered is a proficiency test, delivered by accredited 

instructors, that aims to improve cycle skills for all abilities. Cycle training is an important tool 

in getting more people to cycle, improving skills and improving road safety. Cyclists who are 

confident and proficient are more likely to cycle more often and less likely to become 

involved in a road traffic accident. 


5.65 The road safety education programme delivers a range of comprehensive road safety 

initiatives in schools, community centres and businesses. The objective is to reduce road 

traffic casualties and to raise awareness of road safety issues in Islington. 


5.66 The council will continue to provide its school travel plan programme, aiming to raise 

awareness of road safety and environmental issues, and to increase the number of pupils, 

parents, teachers and visitors who walk, cycle, use public transport or car share to get to 

and from school. Islington’s Sustainable Modes of Travel Strategy (SMOTS), Appendix F of 

this strategy, further details the aims, programmes and targets of this programme. 

Principal road maintenance 

5.67 Principal road maintenance will focus on the junction of Stroud Green Road / Crouch Hill 

with Hanley Road / Stapleton Hall Road, which has some of the worst carriageway 

conditions of all principal roads in the borough. Maintenance will require full-depth 

reconstruction of areas of 65% of the junction, and resurfacing at the rest of the junction and 

immediate surrounding streets including Crouch Hill up to Sparsholt Road and parts of 

Hanley Road. Three bus routes use the junction, and the reconstruction and resurfacing 

works will have to take place during weekends to minimise disruption and congestion 

resulting from the works. 

Schemes submitted for Transport for London Major Schemes funding 

5.68 In addition to the core LIP funding granted to each borough, TfL also invites boroughs to bid 

for ‘Major Schemes’ funding. Major Schemes are funded on a three-step basis, with an initial 

funding bid submitted during step 1, detailed design and consultation carried out during step 

2 (for those schemes gaining TfL support), and implementation carried out during step 3. 

Major Schemes are substantial area-based schemes with a minimum cost of £1 million, and 

which contribute towards the Mayor of London’s ‘Better Streets’ agenda. Highbury Corner 

has already secured ‘Major Scheme’ Step 1 funding, though as discussed earlier, this 

scheme is being implemented by Transport for London rather than funding being granted to 

Islington Council to lead on design, consultation and implementation. 

5.69 In addition, Islington Council has submitted step 1 Major Scheme bids for the following 

schemes (listed in order of priority): 

1. Archway gyratory and public realm improvements 

2. Old Street roundabout 

5.70 Although the two outstanding Major Scheme step 1 bids are listed in priority order, this 

prioritisation may change as a result of a number of factors including deliverability, 



availability of complementary funding, and development or other changes affecting each 

location. 

Major Scheme: Highbury Corner gyratory 

5.71 The closure of the western arm of the one-way system would create a new public space 

extending from Highbury & Islington station to the top of Upper Street. Traffic would be 

routed around the other three arms of the one-way system, but the western arm would 

remain open to buses, cyclists and pedestrians. This would provide a space where buses 

can interchange in one primary location, rather than the current large number of stops 

dotted around the one-way system, improving orientation for passengers and bus journey 

times. The proposals will maintain the capacity of the road system, but would redress the 

balance between motorised vehicles and pedestrians and cyclists. 

5.72 The closure of the western arm could also open up the green space in the centre of the 

roundabout, which is currently inaccessible. The proposed scheme would improve its setting 

and accessibility by allowing pedestrians to walk across a new shared space directly to the 

green space. At this stage it has not been decided what level of access (if any) should be 

provided to the green space. The green space is an ‘arboretum’, containing an exceptional 

collection of trees. 

5.73 A summary of the proposed improvements include the following: 

A new shared space for buses, cyclists and pedestrians on the western arm of the 

roundabout linking to the new station forecourt (and two-way flow around the other 

arms of the one-way system) 

Enlarged and improved pedestrian areas and improved pedestrian crossings 

Delivery of a critical part of Cycle Superhighway route 12, with direct north-south 

cycle access through the shared space western arm, and advanced stop lines at 

each junction of the one-way system 

Relocation of bus stops closer to the station for improved bus-rail interchange 

New pavements, street furniture, and lighting 

Mitigating measures in surrounding local streets 

Some form of public access to the central island green space 

5.74 The council has been working with Transport for London since 2006 to investigate the 

removal of the roundabout. Public consultation in 2007/08 showed a clear preference for the 

removal of the western arm of the roundabout. This option has therefore been further 

developed by Transport for London. The scheme has been allocated £300,000 of Transport 

for London Major Scheme Step 1 funding. Indications from Transport for London are that the 

total project will cost £4.9 million. The latest indicated is that construction could start in April 

2013, with works completed by early 2014. However, this is subject to resolution of some 

details of the scheme design. 

5.75 This Major Scheme would contribute towards the following outcomes from the Mayor’s 

Transport Strategy for London: 

Smoothing traffic flow 

Improving transport reliability 

Improving road user satisfaction (pedestrian, cyclist, driver etc.) 

Enhancing streetscapes, improving the perception of urban realm and developing 

‘Better Streets’ initiatives 

Reducing the number of road traffic casualties 

Supporting wider regeneration 

Maintaining the reliability of transport networks 



Major Scheme: Archway gyratory and public realm improvements 

5.76 The investigation into removing the Archway one-way system involved carrying out a 

number of baseline traffic, passenger and pedestrian surveys that helped inform initial 

modelling work. The study examined twelve high-level concepts and 70 variations to the 

concept themes. The initial modelling work and assessments indicate that two options have 

viable business cases. These are concepts F (Omega) and J. Option F diverts the A1 to the 

east and retains the connection between Junction Road and Highgate Hill. Concept J diverts 

the north-eastern section of Junction Road onto Vorley Road and MacDonald Road, 

creating a more pedestrian-friendly environment around Archway Underground station. This 

section of Junction Road and Lower Highgate Hill would be closed to through traffic, with the 

exception of buses and cyclists. 

5.77 Although it is the council’s longstanding aspiration to remove the one-way system, it is 

recognised that there is currently not enough confirmed funding to implement this project. 

Therefore, a series of short to medium-term solutions have been identified to improve the 

quality of the town centre environment and connections for pedestrians. If the council is able 

to secure additional funding towards improving Archway, the proposal to remove the oneway 

system will be pursued. The estimated cost of this Major Scheme is between £6.5 

million and £8 million. Islington Council has applied to Transport for London for Major 

Schemes funding, and to the Greater London Authority for funding from the Outer London 

Fund. 




Improving public transport reliability 

Improving public transport customer satisfaction 




Facilitating and increase in walking and cycling 


Improving physical accessibility of the transport network 


Maintaining the reliability of transport networks 

Major Scheme: Old Street roundabout 

5.79 The council has been working with Transport for London and the London Borough of 

Hackney for some years to take forward proposals to improve the area around Old Street 

roundabout in the south of the borough. The proposals include the removal of the closure of 

the north-western arm of the roundabout and improvements to the station entrance. The 

proposals are a response to the substantial economic and population growth in the area, as 

well as much needed enhancement of the urban environment. 

5.80 The closure of the north-western arm of the roundabout would involve introducing two-way 

working for the remainder of the roundabout. The closed arm would become the station 

forecourt, leading to the main station entrance at the centre of the roundabout. The station 

forecourt would be integrated with the ‘Promenade of Light’ public space. The proposals 

would also improve pedestrian and cycling routes, and would allow bus stops in the area to 

be rationalised. 



5.81 The overall cost estimate for the Major Scheme is approximately £15 million. Islington 

Council submitted a Major Scheme Step 1 funding bid to Transport for London in 2011, 

seeking £6.2 million towards the scheme. 








Improving physical accessibility of public transport networks 


Maintaining reliability of transport networks 

5.83 The council will endeavour to secure further funding for these schemes through Transport 

for London Major Schemes funding, Section 106 planning obligations funding and any other 

potential funding sources that may become available. 

Section 106-funded schemes 

5.84 The council secures funding from developers to address the negative impacts of new 

development. These ‘planning obligations’, secured through Section 106 of the Town and 

Country Planning Act (1990), often include funding to enhance the borough’s streets and 

public spaces, and to ensure that population growth does not lead to increased traffic 

congestion, parking pressures, air pollution or carbon emissions. 

5.85 The exact schemes that will be allocated Section 106 funding over the next three years will 

depend on the developments that are granted planning permission and actually progress to 

implementation. At the moment, the majority of Islington’s development tends to occur in the 

south of the borough, meaning that the bulk of Section 106 funding for transport 

improvements will likely be spent in the south of the borough. 

5.86 In addition, impending changes to planning legislation including the likely introduction of a 

new ‘Community Infrastructure Levy’ will affect how much Section 106 funding can be 

secured and allocated to transport-related schemes, and which schemes can be delivered 

with this funding. 

Delivering the Mayor’s High Priority Outputs 

5.87 All London local authorities are required to contribute towards the Mayor of London’s High 

Priority Outputs, which are listed below. As part of the Local Implementation Plan process 

London local authorities are also required to report on these outputs from the previous year. 

Islington’s output reporting is detailed in Appendix G. 

Cycle parking 

5.88 Islington is committed to improving safety and convenience for cyclists, including an 

increase in the number of off-street and on-street cycle parking places. Providing better 

cycling facilities including end of trip facilities and parking are a key part of achieving 

Islington’s mode share target for cycling trips in Islington and reducing the number of trips 

made by car in the borough. 



5.89 Additional on-street cycle parking spaces will be provided through environmental 

enhancement schemes detailed in the delivery plan, as well as improvement works outside 

the LIP programme. More details on the number and location of cycle parking places will be 

determined as part of the design and consultation processes for individual schemes. It is 

estimated that in 2011/12 Islington will deliver 350 on-street cycle parking stands. Similar 

figures are expected for 2012/13 and 2013/14. 

5.90 Provision of off-street cycle parking will be achieved through Islington’s LDF Development 

Management Policies. Major development proposals (i.e. not including householder 

applications, minor residential extension and minor changes of use where there is no 

intensification) are required to provide secure, sheltered integrated conveniently located, 

adequately lit and accessible cycle parking in accordance with a minimum standard. In 

some cases developers must also contribute towards wider improvements to cycling 

infrastructure through S106 planning obligation contributions. It is estimated that in 2011/12, 

Islington will deliver 1,000 off-street cycle parking stands. Somewhat higher figures are 

expected for 2012/13 (1,500) and 2013/14 (2,000), as more of the developments being 

implemented will have been subject to the more stringent planning policies recently 

established. 

5.91 Proposals for developments that are publicly accessible are also required to provide or 

contribute financially towards publicly accessible cycle parking located within the vicinity of 

the site. 

5.92 Monitoring of the number of additional on-street and off-street cycle parking places in 

Islington will take place as part of the annual reporting exercise on the Mayor’s High Priority 

Outputs. 

Cycle Superhighways 

5.93 Islington Council is working with Transport for London to develop and support Cycle 

Superhighway 12 to ensure improved road safety for cyclists, in particular at junctions with 

the Cycle Superhighway. Complementary improvements to cycling accessibility and 

connectivity around the cycle superhighway within Islington will be delivered as part of the 

Corridors and Neighbourhoods programme and as part of major schemes at Highbury 

Corner and Archway. Cycling connectivity and road safety schemes are being considered to 

ensure that the cycle superhighway provides safe and convenient connections to other parts 

of the borough. The council will continue its cycle training, road safety education and school 

travel programmes to ensure cyclists living, working or studying in Islington can achieve 

maximum benefit from the Cycle Superhighway, to complement the delivery of cycling and 

road safety improvements throughout the borough. 

Electric vehicle charging points 

5.94 Islington’s LDF Core Strategy ensures that new developments within the borough are 

designed and built in such a way as to encourage healthier, more affordable and more 

sustainable forms of travel. The Core Strategy now requires all new developments to be carfree, 

meaning that there will be no parking provision allowed on site and occupiers will not 

be eligible for residential on-street parking permits, with the exception of parking privileges 

to meet the needs of disabled people. 

5.95 The unfortunate side effect of this policy is that the council has a very limited ability to 

secure on-site electric vehicle charging points, or even to secure Section 106 contributions 

towards electric vehicle charging points on the public highway (as any such facility could not 

be shown to be mitigating the impacts of a development where residents are not eligible to 

own a car). Islington Council does, however, currently have 15 charging points throughout 



the borough and is currently considering how to maximise the benefits of these charging 

points for borough residents. 

Better Streets 

5.96 Islington’s environmental enhancement schemes listed in the Delivery Plan will make a 

major contribution towards Transport for London’s ‘Better Streets’ programme. Better 

Streets schemes are regeneration and economic development schemes that will be 

delivered as part of Islington’s Transport Strategy. These interventions will have a focus on 

creating a safe, secure, healthy and vibrant transport environment for pedestrians and 

cyclists, in particular helping to achieve Islington’s targets to increase the mode shares for 

walking and cycling. Street trees will be introduced as part of enhancement schemes where 

possible. To create a fair transport environment, enhancements will also include 

accessibility improvements such as improved pedestrian crossings and removal of 

guardrails and other street clutter. 

Cleaner local authority fleet 

5.97 Due to the high levels of public transport accessibility in Islington, most work travel is carried 

out using public transport, or on foot or by cycle. Car club vehicles are also used in some 

instances. The council therefore does not have a large vehicle fleet for an organisation of its 

size. However, the vehicles that are needed are selected very carefully to ensure that the 

right vehicle is available for each application to ensure that vehicles are not overloaded or 

alternatively running with too much spare capacity. We will then find the lowest emission 

vehicle that would be suitable for the application whilst ensuring it fits into our air quality plan 

and that the workshop understands the technology and its maintenance regime. The final 

step is to provide rigorous training for all drivers to minimise emissions. 

5.98 The council’s current hierarchy of ‘cleaner-fuel vehicle’ technologies is as follows: 

Hydrogen fuel cell 

Electric or hybrid electric (petrol/electric or diesel/electric) 

Liquid petroleum Gas (LPG) and compressed or liquid natural gas (CNG or LNG) 

Bio-gas, bio-diesel and bio-ethanol 

Selective catalytic reduction system, particulate traps and super-tech’ additives 

5.99 At the moment, the council’s vehicle fleet consists of 272 vehicles. Twelve vehicles are fully 

electric and a further six are hybrid electric. This includes Islington’s core fleet, some 

contractors’ vehicles and specialised plant equipment. While the council is dedicated to 

greening its vehicle fleet, Islington’s contractors are not necessarily obliged to green their 

own vehicles. The council is doing everything possible to aid the process including 

incorporating stricter clauses where possible when renegotiating contracts. 

Street trees 

5.100 Islington Council will protect, care for and improve Islington’s ‘urban forest’ by managing the 

borough’s trees for the long-term benefit of the community. The council always aims to 

replace every street tree it is forced to remove, and has successfully planted more trees 

than it has removed in each of the last nine years. 

5.101 In 2010, Islington Council was forced to remove 176 trees, almost all for natural or health 

and safety reasons. However, 214 new trees were planted, resulting in a net increase of 38 

trees. 



Risk Management and Mitigation 

5.102 Every programme or scheme, regardless of size or complexity, has risks associated with it. 

A structured methodology has been used to identify, assess, mitigate and manage potential 

risks throughout the life cycle of this strategy. 

5.103 The methodology is based on three key stages: 

Identification of risks, opportunities and uncertainties in the strategy and individual 

schemes 

Risk assessment and support 

Ongoing reporting and review 

5.104 Table 16 identifies a range of risks and mitigation measures relating to the delivery of the 

overall LIP programme. As part of our risk management process, programme delivery will be 

monitored at departmental level on a bi-monthly basis in order to identify and resolve any 

problems when they are identified. 

5.105 Individual risk assessments will be undertaken for each scheme that is part of this strategy, 

proportionate to the size and complexity of the intervention. 



Table 17: Risks and mitigation measures 

Risk 

Mitigation measure(s) 

Resources Work is scheduled and planned internally and in consultation 

with stakeholders 

‘Reserve’ schemes are identified that can be brought forward 

to make effective use of resources if another scheme is 

delayed or deemed not feasible 

Budget reduction/cost Project costs are reviewed on an ongoing basis 

increase 

Scheme prioritisation is reviewed to ensure that the highest 

priority schemes are allocated funding 

An active relationship is maintained with Transport for 

London to keep abreast of any potential changes to available 

funding 

Potential alternative funding sources are explored and 

pursued where appropriate 

Policy compatibility Schemes are prioritised and designed to ensure consistency 

across Council strategies to help ensure that delivery 

achieves local transport and other objectives, and 

contributes to delivery of the MTS 

Performance monitoring is carried out to determine the 

effectiveness of the programme and individual projects, and 

to better inform future interventions 

Stakeholder support Stakeholders are involved in scheme development to identify 

potential issues and improve the final scheme 

Elected Members are closely involved in the development of 

Dependency on 

Transport for London 

Delays to progress of 

work 

 

 

 

the delivery plan and individual schemes 

Regular contact is maintained with Transport for London to 

ensure that progress continues on any schemes requiring 

their input 

Timescales for delivery are set to allow sufficient time to 

develop detailed designs, undertake consultation and 

address any issues that may be identified 

Delivery partners are involved in project planning to ensure 

all requirements and resources are in place 



Consultation 

5.106 In preparation of Islington’s LIP, Islington Council has consulted or will consult the following: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the public 

Transport for London 

The Commissioner of the Police (Islington Borough Commander) 

Islington’s Mobility Forum 

Islington Cyclists Action Group 

Town centre managers 

London Borough of Camden 

London Borough of Hackney 

London Borough of Haringey 

City of London Corporation 

North London Transport Forum 

Central London sub-regional transport partnership 

North London sub-regional transport partnership 

English Heritage 

Environment Agency 

Natural England 

5.107 All consultation responses and subsequent actions in response to the consultation will be 

listed in appendix H, which will be produced after consultation as part of the final strategy. 

5.108 The council also consults during scheme design in order to determine the best solutions to 

take forward, or whether a scheme should be implemented at all. The scale of consultation 

and who is consulted will depend on the type of scheme and local circumstances. 



6.0 Performance Monitoring Plan 

6.1 Under section 45 of the GLA Act 1999 London Boroughs are required to set out how their 

Local Implementation Plan is intended to contributing towards meeting the Mayor’s 

Transport Strategy’s goals through the borough’s local transport improvements. As part of 

the Local Implementation Plan, progress will be tracked against five mandatory performance 

indicators set by Transport for London, for which Islington is required to set locally specific 

target. Some indicators have multiple targets. The five mandatory indicators and their 

description are detailed below and in appendix B. 

6.2 Islington will monitor progress against the mandatory indicators and their targets through the 

benchmarking data provide by Transport for London. Islington will monitor progress against 

the indicators on an annual basis and review the set targets when the council redevelops its 

Delivery Plan for the period 2014/15 to 2016/17 in 2013. 

6.3 

Mandatory Indicator 

Mode share 


Road traffic casualties 

CO 2 emissions 

Asset (highway) condition 

Description 

The proportion of personal travel made by each 

mode 

Excess wait time for all high frequency services 

running with Islington 

The number of KSI’s and total number of 

casualties 

Tonnes of CO 2 emanating from ground-based 

transport per year 

The proportion of principal road carriageway 

where maintenance should be considered 



Mode Share 

6.4 Mode share for walking 

Short-term target 41% walking mode share by 2013/14 

Long-term target 43% walking mode share by 2025/26 

Data source London Travel Demand Survey (2006-07 to 2008- 

09 data) 

Link to LIP objectives 

Evidence that target is ambitious and 

realistic 

Efficient, Secure, Vibrant, Healthy 

39.8% of personal travel trips originating in 

Islington were made on foot in the period 

2006-07 to 2008-09 (average, 7 day week) 

 

 

 

 

Islington is an inner-London borough with the 

third highest percentage of personal travel 

trips made on foot 

Islington is the third smallest local authority in 

London, making it easy to access facilities on 

foot 

Islington’s LIP movement hierarchy lists 

walking as the highest priority 

Through the LIP, Islington is continuing 

Smarter Travel schemes including travel 

programmes, road safety education, travel 

awareness projects, encouraging more people 

to walk, as well as borough-wide road safety 

and urban realm improvement schemes 

Key actions for Islington Encourage more people to walk through road 

safety education, travel awareness projects 

and school and work place travel plans 

Implementation of road safety and public 

realm improvement schemes to improve 

safety, security and vibrancy of urban realm 

and town centres in particular 

Key action for partners Metropolitan Police: visual presence to 

Principle risks and how they are 

managed 

 

 

 

improve security and perceptions of security 

Businesses: encourage staff to lead more 

health lifestyles and encourage walking where 

possible 

Transport for London: ensure all TfL land 

accessible to pedestrians (e.g. footways and 

crossings) is improved and maintained to 

encourage walking 

Reduced LIP funding allocation and other 

financial contributions can result in 

deteriorating road quality and road safety – 

funding would have to be prioritised towards 

road maintenance instead of funding road 

safety, urban realm, cycling facilities and 

permeability 



6.5 

Interim milestones 

Base year 

2006-07 to 2008- 

09 average 

2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 

39.8% 40% 40.2% 40.5% 41% 

6.6 

Trajectory 

Walking mode share 

41.2 

41 

40.8 

40.6 

40.4 

40.2 

40 

39.8 

39.6 

39.4 

39.2 

base year 

average 

2006/07 to 

2008/09 

2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 



6.7 Mode share for cycling 

Short-term target 4% cycling mode share by 2013/14 

Long-term target 8% cycling mode share by 2025/26 

Data source 

London Travel Demand Survey (2006/07 to 

2008/09 data) 

Link to Borough Transport 

Safe, Secure, Efficient, Vibrant, Healthy 

Objectives 

Evidence that target is ambitious 

and realistic 

3.4% of personal travel trips (including 

commuting and school travel) originating in 

Islington were made by cycle in the period 

2006/07 to 2008/09 (average, 7 day week) 

Islington is an inner-London borough, already 

in the top quarter of personal travel trip by 

cycle 

The A1 will be a Cycle Superhighway, 

terminating at Angel 

Islington already has the benefit of the Cycle 

Hire Scheme in the south of the borough 

Through the LIP, Islington is continuing 

Smarter Travel schemes including cycle 

training and travel programmes to encourage 

more people to cycle, as well as borough-wide 

road safety schemes 

Key actions for Islington Encourage more people to cycle through cycle 

training and travel planning schemes 

Implementation of road safety and public 

realm improvement schemes 

Development Management Policies on cycle 

parking and end of trip facilities 

Key action for partners Transport for London: implementation of the 

Cycle Superhighway 

Transport for London (with LBI): Expansion of 

the Cycle Hire Scheme in Islington 

Businesses: provision of cycle parking and 

end of trip facilities, and support their 

employees to cycle to work where possible – 

Transport for London Policy Analysis data 

shows there is potential work cycling trips 

through out London. 



Principal risks and how they are 

managed 

 

 

 

Delay to implementation of the Cycle 

Superhighway – may require adjustment of 

short-term target but is unlikely to affect longterm 

target 

Uncertainty on expansion of the Cycle Hire 

Scheme in Islington – may require adjustment 

of short-term target but is unlikely to affect 

long-term target 


financial contributions can result in 

deteriorating road quality and road safety – 

funding would have to be prioritised towards 

road maintenance instead of funding road 

safety, urban realm, cycling facilities and 

permeability 

6.8 


Base year 

2006-07 to 

2008-09 

average 

2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 

3.4% 3.6% 3.7% 3.8% 4.0% 

6.9 

Trajectory 

Cycling mode share 

Cycling % mode share 

4.1 

4 

3.9 

3.8 

3.7 

3.6 

3.5 

3.4 

3.3 

3.2 

3.1 

base 

year 

average 

2010/11 

Year 

2012/13 



Road Traffic Casualties 

6.10 Total killed and seriously injured (KSI) 

Short term target 

21.6% reduction in KSI by 2013 compared to 

2006-2008 average 

Long term target 

38.4% reduction in total KSI by 2020 compared to 

2006-2008 baseline 

Data source 

London Road Safety Unit 


Safe, Healthy 



Islington has achieved a reduction of 52% in 

KSI between 1994-88 and 2006-08. 

Islington’s LIP prioritises road safety schemes 

in area with high KSI to reduce KSI among 

pedestrians and cyclists in particular 

Through the LIP Islington is continuing 

Smarter Travel programme including travel 


awareness projects 

Islington’s KSI target has been set so that it 

takes into consideration DfT’s targets to 

reduce both those killed and those seriously 

injured by 33% each by 2020. This is reflected 

in the LIP mandatory target for KSI for 

2013/14 

Key actions for Islington Implement road safety schemes in the LIP 

Continue to deliver the Smarter Travel 

programme 

Expansion of the 20 mph speed limit to 

principal roads 

Key action for partners Transport for London: reduce KSI on TLRN 

road network in Islington 

Schools: ensure students gain travel 

awareness 


managed 

An increase in KSI because of an increase in 

walking and cycling mode shares – travel 

awareness and road safety training 

Reduced LIP funding: prioritise road safety 

improvement projects according to KSI data 

6.11 


Year 2006-08 

base line 

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 

KSI 89 88 78 74 72 70 



6.12 

Trajectory 

Total KSI 

100 

90 

80 

70 

60 

KSI 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

2006-2008 

(baseline, 

average) 

2009 (2007- 

2009 

average) 

2010 (2008- 

2010 

average) 

2011 2012 2013 

Year 



6.13 Total casualties 

Short term target 10.8% reduction in total casualties by 2013 

compared to 2006-2008 baseline 

Long term target 26.6% reduction in total casualties by 2020 

compared to 2006-2008 baseline 

Data source 

London Road Safety Unit 




Safe, Healthy 

Islington has achieved a reduction of 52% in 

casualties between 1994-88 and 2006-08. 

Islington’s LIP prioritises road safety schemes 

in area with high numbers of casualties to 

reduce casualties among pedestrians and 

cyclists in particular 

 

Through the LIP Islington is continuing 

Smarter Travel programme including travel 


awareness projects 

Expansion of the 20 mph speed limit to 

principal roads 

Key actions for Islington Implement road safety schemes in the LIP 

Continue to deliver the Smarter Travel 

programme 

Key action for partners Transport for London: reduce casualties on 


managed 

 

 

 

TLRN road network in Islington 

Schools: ensure students gain travel 

awareness 

An increase in KSI because of an increase in 

walking and cycling mode shares – travel 

awareness and road safety training 

Reduced LIP funding: prioritise road safety 

improvement projects according to KSI data 

6.14 


Year 2006-08 base 

line, average 

Total 

casualties 

2009 (2006- 

2009 average) 

2010 

(2007- 

2010 

average) 

2011 2012 2013 

695 720 775 660 640 620 



6.15 

Trajectory 

Total casualties 

900 

800 

700 

Total casualties 

600 

500 

400 

300 

200 

100 

0 

2006-2008 

(baseline, 

average) 

2009 (2006- 

2009 

average) 

2010 (2007- 

20010 

average) 

2011 2012 2013 

Year 



6.16 Asset Condition (highways) 

Short term target 

To keep 10% or less of the BPRN carriageway in 

Islington below a score of 70 from the UKPMS 

road condition survey by 2013. 

Long term target 

To keep 5% or less of the BPRN carriageway in 

Islington below a score of 70 from the UKPMS 

road condition survey by 2025. 

Data source 

Detailed Visual Inspection (DVI) data supplied for 

each borough to Transport for London by LB 

Hammersmith and Fulham 


Safe, Efficient, Vibrant, Healthy 



LIP funding and other sources of funding for 

highway maintenance are declining as a result 

of which asset condition will suffer and the 

percentage of roads in need of maintenance 

increase 

Evidence based on previous years funding is 

detailed in paragraphs 5.11 to 5.13 

Key actions for Islington Prioritise highway maintenance were most 

necessary 

Find additional cost servings to achieve more 

value for money 

Key action for partners None 

Principle risks and how they are 

managed 

 

Extreme weather and increased need for road 

maintenance - schedule works other then 

emergency repair to be undertaken after the 

winter period 

Further reduction of funding – prioritise 

maintenance strictly against urgency for repair 

6.17 


Year 2009-10 

base year 

2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 

Target value 4.9 5.5 6.5 7.5 9 

(%) 



6.18 

Trajectory 

% of borough principal roads where maintenance should be considered 

% of borough principal roads where 

maintenace should be considered 

10 

9 

8 

7 

6 

5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

0 

2009/10 

base year 

2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 

% of borough principal roads 

where maintenance should 

be considered 

Year 



6.19 CO 2 emissions emanating from ground-based transport 

Short term target Indicative short term target for Islington of a CO 2 

reduction to 108.86 kilo tonnes of CO 2 by 2013 to 

contribute to the Mayor’s target of a 60% 

reduction by 2025 (compared to the 1990 base) 

Long term target Indicative long term target for Islington of a CO 2 

reduction to 71.11 kilo tonnes of CO 2 by 2025 to 

contribute to the Mayor’s target of a 60% 

reduction by 2025 (compared to the 1990 base) 

Data source 

GLA London Energy and Greenhouse Gas 

Inventory (LEGGI) 


Fair, Efficient, Vibrant, Healthy 



The LIP and Core Strategy prioritise walking 

and cycling 

The use of private motor vehicles is 

discouraged 

Expansion of the 20 mph speed limit zones in 

Islington to principal roads 

Islington has car free housing policies in place 

Islington is revising its pricing structure for 

parking permits which takes into account 

emissions, to provide a stronger incentive for 

residents and businesses to purchase more 

fuel-efficient cars 

Key actions for Islington Promote and support sustainable transport 

where possible 

Reduce CO 2 emissions emanating from the 

council own fleet 

Work with partners and contractors to 

encourage them to reduce their CO 2 

emissions in Islington 

Key action for partners Reduce CO 2 emissions emanating from 


managed 

 

 

ground-based transport in Islington 

Financial constrains can postpone the 

purchase of more fuel-efficient vehicles 

The contribution required from the transport 

sector to meet the Mayor’s CO 2 emission 

target for 2025 is linked to CO 2 emission 

reductions in other sectors, requiring 

reductions through out different sectors 

impacting on transport (e.g. the ability to 

change working patterns, driver behaviour) 

6.20 


Year 2008 

Target 

value 

base year 

130.00 

(base year 

value) 

2010 2011 2012 2013 

121.09 116.87 112.80 108.86 



6.21 

Trajectory 

Trajectory data kilo tonnes CO2 emission emination from alll sources of ground 

based transport 

Kilo tonnes of CO2 

135 

130 

125 

120 

115 

110 

105 

100 

95 

Base year 2008 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 

Year 



6.22 Bus Service Reliability 

Short-term target 1.2 minutes EWT by 2017/18 

Long-term target 1.2 minutes EWT by 2013/14 

Data source 

Transport for London Business Plan 2008/09 to 

2017/18 


Fair, Efficient 



Transport for London’s Business Plan indicates 

that London-wide EWT are expected to remain 

more or less constant through to 2017/18. 

Islington is a very densely populated borough 

with high pressure and congestion on the road 

network and over-crowding on key bus 

corridors. It is not expected that Islington can 

improve on its EWT of 1.2 minutes for 2009/10 

Key actions for Islington Encourage more people to walk and cycle 

more. 

Reduce the mode share of journeys made by 

car 

Keep the transport network moving and free 

from congestion 

Key action for partners Transport for London: Maintain or improve EWT 

on Islington bus corridors 

Transport for London: further roll out of SCOOT 

at traffic signals to maximise efficiency of the 

road network 


managed 

 


financial contributions can result in deteriorating 

road quality which in turn can result in delays 

on bus corridors and in increase in EWT – 

Islington will work with Transport for London to 

minimise delays on bus corridors in Islington 

6.23 Interim milestones Projections 

EWT in minutes 2009/10 1.2 

2010/11 1.2 

2011/12 1.2 

2012/13 1.2 

2013/14 1.2 

2014/15 1.2 

2015/16 1.2 

2016/17 1.2 

2017/18 1.2 



6.24 

Trajectory 


Excess Waiting Time (EWT) in Minutes 

1.4 

1.35 

1.3 

1.25 

1.2 

1.15 

1.1 

1.05 

1 

2009/10 

(actual) 

2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 

Year (Projections)

Islington's Transport Strategy and Local ... - Islington Council

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