Dangerous junction on Highgate Hill

In 2017, due to concerns about the safety of their pupils crossing Cholmeley Park at its junction with Highgate Hill, Channing School paid for professional transport planning & highway design consultants Caneparo Associates to assess the junction and make proposals for safety improvements.

The solution proposed involves building out the pavement on both sides of the junction, making it join Highgate Hill at a tighter angle hence causing vehicles turning left into Cholmeley Park to slow down more. This would be in line with best practice for junctions  – see London Living Streets Good Design Principles for Pedestrians.

The design would also involve removal of the two existing parking spaces immediately to the northwest of the junction, which would improve visibility for vehicles emerging from Cholmeley Park. This poor visibility was a contributory factor in a serious motorcycle accident shown in the photo in 2022. A car emerged from Cholmeley Park onto Highgate Hill and at the time a motorcyclist was coming down Highgate Hill, travelling too fast. In an attempt to avoid the car the motorcyclist swerved, lost balance and crashed into the road. He or she was taken away by air ambulance.

Designs described in the plan drawn up by Caneparo almost certainly would have prevented this accident. They were discussed at a meeting with Haringey officers, but we have seen no action taken. Sadly, the opportunity to include this improvement into the works currently in progress at The Bank has been missed.

Please write to the Highgate (Haringey) ward Councillor Scott Emery (scott.emery@haringey.gov.uk) and to Cllr Seema Chandwani, Haringey Cabinet member whose responsibilities include Highways (seema.chandwani@haringey.gov.uk) if you have comments on this section of Highgate Hill between Bisham Gardens and Hornsey Lane. Please copy chair@highgatesociety.com. Where an issue seems to involve Camden as well as Haringey we will bring it to the attention of the relevant Camden Councillors.

27 February 2024
(Revised 29 February 2024)