Barriers cause division in Finsbury Park

By Alex Delaney

RESIDENTS in Finsbury Park are bitterly split about a set of barriers at the end of Moray Road.

The controversial barriers were built to control traffic around the new Emirates stadium. Despite two consultation programmes by the council, however, some residents remain unhappy about them, wanting to have them replaced with CCTV cameras.

Andrew Barnes, chairman of Moray Road (West) Residents' Association said: “There is an awful lot of history with this barrier. A small group of have been very passionate about getting them removed and replaced with CCTV cameras."

However, councillors at the East Area committee voted to keep the gates as the CCTV would have cost £100,000.

The barriers have also angered residents in the Tollington Estate.

Richard Schudermann, vice-chairman of Andover Estate Tenants and Residents Association, said: "It's disgusting that you come to a decision like this. A road closure has been done without a proper consultation of the most important stakeholders - 1,500 households were not properly consulted about this."

Labour councillor Phil Kelly said: "Whatever we have done has left someone unsatisfied. I was looking for a consultation on what the options are."