Community Master Plan

The advantages of this plan are that it completely alters the way the site works, but with minimal disruption because it can be done in stages.

It enormously improves the ease of moving about the site, and gives much better views of the areas around it.

By re-using existing buildings it greatly increases the sustainability of the project.

Re-cladding the buildings however will make them appear completely new - and can include features to tackle the wind blight - as well as extra sustainability.

Keeping but recladding the tower will avoid closing the tube station for a year or more.

We are still working on this plan which is not yet finished but the key points are:

Click the image for a larger view

That we re-establish the old High Street with shops down Lower Highgate HIll and along Junction road. Instead of the existing Post Office mall you have an inner court yard (think Neals Yard) with smaller places and the key attraction of the library which would be moved to form part of the same block as the swimming pool and other community and learning space. The route would continue through to the Girdlestone Estate and on to the new hospital entrance, connecting the area better with the hospital.

Above the shops would be offices and above the offices would be residential, ensuring that the area stayed busy thorughout the day and into the evening. There would also be smaller units for start-up businesses.

The main public space would become Archway Close, originally the heart of Archway, which would be the venue for a market and other public events.

Lower HIghgate Hill would be close to traffic, possibly taking buses to make changes and connections witht he tube easier, however, while the rest of the traffic would be routed around the other side of the roundabout.

It is proposed that the Junction Road become a shared space, that is a totally paved area with the pavements protected by bollards but indicating to traffic that they do not have priority and encouraging an overall slowing of vehicles. This is to be tried out in Exhibition Road and we will be waiting to see if it would be suitable here. It is possible that there could be a timed system with traffic priority for example only at rush hours Monday to Friday and the rest of the time shared space.

If you have any views or advice about any of this, please contact us and do think of coming alongt o our community planning sessions.