Request ID: FOI-0364-2122 Date published: 11 June 2021
You asked
Please can you provide details and information in relation to the assessment, evaluation, analysis or similar undertaken by the Transport for London and/or its agents to determine the impact that the changes to Highbury Corner traffic scheme could have (or possibly have) on the traffic volume, emergency vehicle access, egress and entrance to, air quality and/or air pollution levels on Furlong Road before or after such changes were effected. Please also provide details of all such information which was shared with Islington Council.
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-0364-2122 Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 20th May 2021 asking for information about the impact of works at Highbury Corner on Furlong Road. Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. “Please can you provide details and information in relation to the assessment, evaluation, analysis or similar undertaken by the Transport for London and/or its agents to determine the impact that the changes to Highbury Corner traffic scheme could have (or possibly have) on the traffic volume, emergency vehicle access, egress and entrance to, air quality and/or air pollution levels on Furlong Road before or after such changes were effected. Please also provide details of all such information which was shared with Islington Council.” TfL has not carried out any such assessment, analysis or evaluation specifically in relation to Furlong Road and the Highbury Corner Scheme. That said, you may be interested in the following, more general information in relation to the scheme: General information about the works can be found on the Islington Council website here: https://www.islington.gov.uk/planning/plan_brief_major/highburycorner Information about the traffic impact on local roads can be found on the Islington Council website here: https://www.islington.gov.uk/~/media/sharepoint-lists/public-records/transportandinfrastructure/information/adviceandinformation/20202021/20210114highburycornertrafficimpactsonlocalstreetsexplanatorynotedocx.pdf https://www.islington.gov.uk/~/media/sharepoint-lists/public-records/transportandinfrastructure/information/adviceandinformation/20202021/20210114highburycornerobservedtrafficflowspmpeak.pdf Air quality data for various sites across London can be found here: https://maps.london.gov.uk/air-quality/ http://londonair.org.uk/london/asp/annualmaps.asp https://www.breathelondon.org/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlZzHkZfI7AIVyPvjBx1OjginEAAYASAAEgK2hvD_BwE In addition to the above, note that TfL carries out environmental evaluations for all our major schemes, including an assessment of predicted changes in noise levels and air quality. Our assessments showed that the overall environmental impact of the project is neutral, and we did not expect an increase in air pollution due to the Highbury Corner roundabout improvements. The air modelling data we have was submitted as part of the planning application for the project and can be found on the Islington Council planning website here: https://www.islington.gov.uk/planning Islington Council confirmed that the submission of an Environmental Impact Assessment was not required for the scheme as the works would not have significant effects on the local environment, which includes air quality. Further details of all of these can be found on the Islington Council planning website. Motor traffic is one of the major causes of air pollution in Greater London, with vehicle exhausts and braking systems contributing to NOx and particulate matter in the air. The Highbury Corner roundabout scheme is expected to help provide a long-term improvement in air quality in the Highbury Corner area by encouraging more journeys to be made by walking and cycling and hence reducing the number of motor traffic journeys. In addition, the recent introduction of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), greener bus fleet, taxis and private hire vehicles adhering to strict Euro 6 standards, will all assist in reducing pollution. Finally, note that several other projects have been delivered by Islington Council around this area, coupled with Cadent Gas and Thames Water utility works with road diversions - all of which will be contributing factors to traffic levels. If you are considering submitting a further FOI request please think carefully about whether the request is essential at this current time, as answering FOI requests will require the use of limited resources and the attention of staff who could be supporting other essential activity. Where requests are made, please note that our response time may be impacted by the current situation. Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed. Yours sincerely, David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
