Cycling group campaign to demolish Old Street roundabout and replace it with crossroads layout

Old Street roundabout should be demolished and replaced with a crossroad layout, say cycling campaigners.

Draft proposals to regenerate the intersection include building an office block in the centre, but the Hackney branch of the London Cycling Campaign (LCC) believes it should return to its pre-1960s layout.

The group sent a deputation to Hackney Council last Wednesday with the proposal.

Group secretary Oliver Schick said: “We are advocating a crossroads as it’s much safer. There are very ambitious proposals to develop Tech City. It’s very important that a good quality development is implemented. We have seen a lot of inappropriate proposals.”

After the meeting, group chairman Trevor Parsons said: “This is a very preliminary visualisation. The key point is that a crossroads provides much better opportunities for reconnecting the streetscape and for encouraging development on a human scale.

“Using the existing envelope of ruined frontages would be a way of saying we can’t improve on the spatial planning mistakes of the 1960s. We need to be a bit more ambitious and a fresh approach should be made to Islington Council as the leading planning authority on this issue.”

The group has already proposed the idea to Transport for London at a Better Junctions group meeting.

Feryal Demirci, Hackney’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: “The council is working with partners to ensure the large scale regeneration of Old Street is a success. A key part of this is the roundabout and improving the safety and environment of the area.”

“Any redevelopment needs to reflect the needs of all road users and cater for high volumes of pedestrian and cycle movement. Given this once in a generation opportunity to improve the area it is imperative that we get it right. At this stage the council is asking for all options to be thoroughly investigated.”