Islington's many busy streets and pavements will be getting a makeover following the announcement at Executive on 13 September of more money for maintenance, road safety measures and to promote cycling as an alternative to car use.<br><br>An extra £5m is available from the proceeds of the sale of the council's commercial property portfolio to spend on the upgrade, which will start straight away. The council had already planned to upgrade 20 streets this year, but the extra cash from the sale means a total of 90 streets will now be upgraded instead.<br><br>Cllr Lucy Watt, Islington Council's Executive Member for Environment, said: "We've heard residents calls for greener, cleaner and safer streets. So we're making an investment in roads and pavements that people will appreciate whether they are pedestrians, cyclists or motorists.<br><br>"It's more than resurfacing roads and replacing cracked paving. We'll be de-cluttering pavements, replacing damaged signage, painting railings, improving highway drainage to prevent local flooding and we'll be planting trees.<br><br>"Islington's streets are more than thoroughfares. They are places where local people live, do business and take their leisure. So we are taking a 'fence to fence' approach. That means fixing those issues of concern to residents and making a real difference to the appearance and feel of our streets.<br><br>"Islington deserves the best and we're going to deliver - it's part of our determination to make the borough look the best it can."<br><br>The programme will contribute to a greener, cleaner and safer Islington by helping to reduce crime and accidents, improving cleanliness and looking for opportunities to 'Green the Grey'. <br><br>The combination of the number of streets and the small size of the borough means that Islington has one of the most intensive road networks in London with over 262 kilometres of highway. As part of the upgrade, the council will consider how surfaces can be made smoother and more even for the benefit of parents with buggies, wheelchair users and those with visual impairment.<br><br>Streets that have already benefited from an upgrade include Junction Road, York Way, St John's Way, Gallia Road and Nugent Road. <br><br>The council will continue to advise residents and businesses about these schemes by pre-surveys, information days and local mail shots, and to carry out follow up surveys to learn from residents' experiences.<br><br>The council will keep people informed about major scheme works and for updates check council website wwww.islington.gov.uk/transport.<br><br>ENDS
Page Last Updated: 17 December 2009