Archway Road constructions “bad for local business”

Redevelopment in Archway is threatening The Charlotte Despard, a small pub along Archway Road.

Islington council have decided to introduce a new system for buses to U-turn on Archway road, by using the loading bay of The Charlotte Despard. A new cycle highway will also run next to the pub. The constructions proposed by the council are part of the improvements of Archway’s Giratory works.

The owner of the pub, Chris Sparks says he has not been consulted about the constructions, although it may result in the disappearance of his loading bay. This means he will have to unload his 16 deliveries a week on Archway road: “They won’t do a risk assessment about that with me, no one will want to unload on the other side of that road to bring it across the road like this. So effectively, they are putting me out of business.”

The constructions may also mean his customers will be forced closer to the road as the loading bay is also used as a smoking area. He believes that this could put his customers in danger as they could stumble on the road and believes that: “To put this blue lane next to a pub, moving buses next to that, next to an existing bus lane, on a reduced sized road is worrying”.

Chris also believes that there are safer and more convenient bus routes which will not hurt his business: “I believe there is another way to do this which won’t infringe people, which won’t make pollution, which will be easier to manage, easier to run and will keep the buses on the right route. Because all the buses they are going to park here are not on their route.” he adds, “St John’s Way going all the way down to Hornsey Lane, it’s all council property and there a lot of land there.”

Chris has tried getting in contact with the council for the past five years and has been denied multiple Freedom Of Information requests.

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