Calls to halt Highgate gyratory housing plans
The gyratory where Haringey Council plans to build 16 homes, opposed by resident associations - Credit: archway.commonplace.is
A plan to build housing on a traffic gyratory island in Highgate has been slammed by resident organisations as unsafe for children.
Haringey Council plans to build 16 council rent and for private sale homes on the American Car Wash site in the Wellington Gyratory, where North Hill meets Archway Road.
The development would comprise two two-bedroom houses, 12 two-bedroom flats and two one-bedroom flats.
A communal garden would include a children's play space, seating, planting and space for local food growing, plans state.
How the 16 homes on the Wellington Gyratory might look - Credit: archway.commonplace.is
Highgate Society and the Highgate Neighbourhood Forum (HNF) are asking Haringey to hold off on its plans.
The gyrator is surrounded on three sides by heavily used roads and on the fourth by a petrol station.
Francis Wilkinson, of the Highgate Society, said: "At the moment it is insufficiently thought through.
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"The difficulty that nobody seems to have thought through is that it's on a traffic island in the middle of the A1and a danger to any child getting the mainland as there's no proper pedestrian crossing.
"The other obvious problem is air pollution. To deal with this they've said the windows on the A1 side won't open. All the windows will be impacted by different levels of pollution, maybe slightly but it's still slight."
Writing for HNF's website, Maggy Meade-King said the association is "horrified" by the proposals.
"Haringey’s own measurements show dangerous levels of air and noise pollution and it will hardly be of comfort to tenants on the lower floors that these improve at higher levels," she wrote.
"The quality of this development will not be improved by sealed windows along one side and balconies which face a very noisy and busy Bakers Lane.
"In addition there is very little green space, should the tenants decide to venture out into this unpleasant environment.
"If they do venture out, there is currently no safe crossing of busy roads to connect them to the rest of the neighbourhood."
She said HNF has urged Haringey to put the plan to one side "until they have talked urgently to TfL about removing the gyratory".
Cllr Ruth Gordon, Haringey Council's lead on house building, placemaking and development, said the site is on brownfield land and "has been assessed suitable for new housing", and "will incorporate features to reduce noise from surrounding roads and air pollution".
She added: "The council is currently undertaking a period of community engagement with local residents, which includes productive meetings with the Highgate Society and the HNF, to discuss our initial ideas for new homes at this location.”
To read the proposal visit archway.commonplace.is/
