Bollards are very humdrum things but if they are removed or put in the wrong place all sorts of thing can go wrong. We have had two bollard problems here in North Kings Cross. The ten metre long pedestrian Tilloch Street off the Cally Road is a remnant of the old grid system. It used to be abused heavily by fly tippers, skip dumpers and illegal parkers as the old bollards were wrecked. Working with the Council i got some new bollards put in and some trees planted. Then someone smashed the locks on the removable bollards and wrecked things again. Cllr Convery has had one replaced with a fixed bollard and is trying to get somethign done about the other
On dead-end Huntingdon Street on the other side of the Cally running off into Barnsbury a street gate traffic barrier was replaced by some two bollards (i don’t know why). Fantastically the Council has not put the bollards close enough together. A well-driven small car can get through the gap. You couldn’t make it up.
There was a pretty ferocious row at the West Area Committee on May 21st about the absurd Huntingdon Street bollards. There had been some cursory consultation with nearby businesses prior to executing this scheme but no discussion with the Huntingdon Street residents association or the local Councillors. This, of course, is silly because there’s no better way to generate opposition than by doing something without telling anyone. It’s also stupid because, us oiks may not be environment professionals but we can generally see a mistake in the making – and the gap between the bollards is a classic example.
I have now stood and watched narrow vehicles, carefully maneouvered, easily driving through from Caledonian Road to Huntingdon Street and vice versa. This should have been so, so simple to avoid by placing the fixed bollards just a little closer. No said the “Conservation & Regeneration Officer” responsible, there must be clearance of 3.5 metres between fixed bollards for emergency vehicles. I am going to measure this gap because I just don’t believe it. Anyway, there will be a site visit now for interested parties to discuss how to remediate this … probably by just positioning a second demountable bollard.
The overall design (the bollards’ placing, the paving pattern and the relaid kerbstones) is also a problem because it now encourages southbound vehicles to make a turn-in or, at the very least, treat this as a temporary parking spot or turning point. It now means the Caledonian Road (eastside) pavement is no longer a securely pedestrianised route. Why, they did not position the bollards closer to the Caledonian Road kerbline rather than the Huntingdon Road highway edge is a mystery.
These problems are exactly why planners need to consult with people before implementing schemes like this. At the very least, ordinary folk (and Councillors count as such for these purposes) can warn them (the professionals) about the blunders they are implementing.