View from Stoke Newington High Street at Hollar Road Pic: TfL

An ambitioius new gyratory system is to be created in the centre of Stoke Newington to improve road safety and reduce congestion.

Hackney Council said the gyratory will replaced the existing one way system and make roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

The plans, drawn up in conjunction with Transport for London,  include a new northbound cycle lane on Stoke Newington High Street, three new pedestrian crossings and a new 20mph speed limit with raised junctions and crossings.

Impression of  Stoke Newington High Street, looking north Pic: TfL

The Council say the changes will help to transform Stoke Newington from a traffic-dominated one-way system to a pedestrian-friendly zone.

Councillor Feryal Demirci, Deputy Mayor of Hackney, said: “We’ve been working with residents and TfL for a number of years on plans to remove the car-dominated Stoke Newington one-way system.”

Demirci continued: “This is a long awaited proposal and we are delighted our residents can finally have their say on plans to make the Stoke Newington area more pleasant for everyone. I’d urge people in Stoke Newington to take part in the consultation.”

Will Norman, London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said: “These bold plans would transform the environment around Stoke Newington to make it safer and healthier for everyone who lives and works in the area.”

The new scheme follows criticism by the campaign group CleanAir4Schools (CA4S) of the council’s handling of proposed road closures in Stoke Newington, which campaigners predict will bring a 21 per cent traffic increase to some primary schools in the area.

Jenna Fansa, a member of the family campaign group StokeyParents, said: “There are elements of the gyratory plans which I really like – I share the goal of reducing traffic locally and of making the high street more pleasant for pedestrians and cyclists but the impact of that must not be to increase traffic or pollution at schools which already have high levels of pollution.”

Plan of the view from Stoke Newington High Street, looking south Pic:TfL

Fansa continued: “I’ve asked TfL for more information about their gyratory plans. Specifically, I’d like to know what, if any, impact assessments have been carried out in terms of traffic displacement. With two highly-polluted primary schools on Church Street at risk if traffic volumes go up, I hope TfL will have carried out traffic modelling to properly assess the possible impact.”

A consultation regarding the proposed gyratory is open to the public until Friday, November 30.