PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
Highbury Place, N5, - a forgotten and cluttered entrance to Highbury Fields - has been given a contemporary clean new look and will be officially reopened by Cllr Lucy Watt, Executive Member for Environment at 10am on Wednesday 1 November 2006.
Gone are the redundant concrete bollards, junction boxes and railings that blocked the path of pedestrians into and out of the park. In their place a line of mature plane trees provides a visual link from Highbury Corner to Highbury Fields beyond. Smart new stone paving and a way-finding board complete the makeover.
And for the first time in many years cyclists will have northbound access into Highbury Fields and its cycle routes.
Consultation on the works was completed in December 2005. Shortly afterwards, the UK's strongest man Terry Holland, lent a helping hand to begin the improvement works in February 2006 by removing barrier railings. The scheme was completed in summer 2006 at a cost of £250k, shared between Islington Council and Trasnport for London (TfL).
Highbury Place is the first streetscape scheme to be completed as part of the A1 Borough project though several green space schemes, for example Islington Green, N1 and Whittington Park, N19 have already benefitted from the treatment.
Speaking ahead of the opening ceremony, Cllr Lucy Watt, Executive Member for Environment, Islington Council said:
"The project has made a big difference to Highbury Place and is a good example of what we are hoping to do all along the A1 to make it safer, cleaner, greener and more accessible.
"There's a much clearer view of Highbury Fields now - our largest open space in the borough - and that should encourage more people to visit by foot or by bike."
Attention now turns to the unattractive hoarding that surrounds the vacant site opposite Barclays Bank where Highbury Corner meets Highbury Place. Islington Council is enlisting the help of a local artist and children to come up with a design that will be used to cover the hoarding.
PHOTOGRAPHERS WELCOME
Highbury Place Grand Opening
10am, Wednesday 1 November 2006
Cllr Lucy Watt, Executive Member for Environment
Guests: Highbury Residents Association, TfL, Crowley, Living Streets.
ENDS
Page Last Updated: 29 July 2008