Mini Holland 26-8-15

Mini Holland


Having driven up to Scotland and back it is clear our roads are at capacity. Even in Northumberland the A1 was a solid jam and the side roads were very busy. Seeing as it is the holiday season I would have expected the roads to be a bit clearer, but everywhere I have been they are at capacity. The worse journey was coming back from Sussex, normally a 2 hour drive and this time 7 hours!

Haringey have decided to make all its roads 20mph and the roundel signs are just being put up - how much waste is this - it is not only a cost to the tax payers but the waste of the natural resources to make the signs. If this is copied across London the cost is huge and the benefits nil unless the police prosecute everyone going over 20mph and what impact will this have on the economy?

Haringey 20mph

Is Mini Holland really going to be the salvation? I think not. So far it has proved a huge waste of public money from unnecessary bus adverts to rebuilding road entrances with fancy brick work. Have cyclists benefited - not as far as I can see. The cycle lane in Hoe Street is dangerous and the Village is a no go area for cyclists as pedestrians are now using the road as a pavement. So far the main beneficiaries appear to be the Village residents as they can now cross the road without having to lookout for traffic. Are we all going to have that level of 1950s quiet communities - I suspect not!!

The latest target is the Whipps Cross Roundabout to wind people up:

Whipps Cross Development of the Mini Holland Scheme.

Following the consultation with the council over the redevelopment of Whipps Cross Roundabout it has come to light that the existing copse of trees on the roundabout is likely to be removed either by felling or "transplanting".
We have it on good authority from both Councillor Loakes and Martin Esom , the Chief Executive of Waltham Forest Council that the council are looking at transplanting the trees to another part of the forest. You do not have to be a rocket scientist to see that to up root a copse of mature ,50 foot tall trees, will end in failure. Some success could be had with the smaller younger trees that stand on their own.

We need to raise awareness of this problem and campaign to save our trees from being covered in tarmac.

Will you join us?

   Best Regards

Graham Hodgkiss

Chairman of the Foresters Drive Residents Association