We sent an email to Cllr Convery this morning, asking for responses to the following questions:
1 How did TfL find out about the plan to remove the traffic lights?
2 What does the process that TfL want to undertake involve?
3 How long is the process likely to take?
4 Do you anticipate any problems? If so, what?
5 What is the name of the Islington Council officer who is responsible for dealing with this, and the name of the TfL employee who will be making the decision?
We also reminded Cllr Convery that the Council successfully challenged TfL’s decision to close Caledonian Road station by organising a petition, getting the issue all over the media, and by threatening TfL with a judicial review.
We understand that this situation is very different, in that TfL money was used to pay for the scheme, and they do, unfortunately, have the right to say ‘no’ to the removal of the lights.
However, given the effect that the installation of the lights has had on local residents’ health, we expect the Council to put as much pressure on TfL as they did in opposing the closure of Caledonian Road station.
We have received a response from Cllr Convery:
Afraid I do not yet know the answer to these Qs. However, Claudia Webbe and I have an urgent meeting with our officers on Thursday. We shall be taking this situation directly up the management chain at TfL to get a resolution. We shall work very hard to sort this out as speedily as we can.
We will keep the pressure on, and will post new information as we get it.
In the meantime, a member of our team will be contacting solicitors who carry out pro bono work for local community groups affected by environmental issues.
callysouth.co.uk 
I am pretty certain that legally TFL really can’t say no.
The legal requirements on the signed report of this scheme have been broken.
It states that the council have a duty to ensure
“convenient and safe movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic”.
“A requirement to have regard to…
3) national air quality survey 4)the importance of facilitating the passage of public service vehicles, and 5)any other matters appearing to the council to be relevant. ”
So the air pollution, we know, is consistently over legal limits. Public service vehicles are buses and the 7 bus routes are stuck idling on Wharfdale most of the time. (As are ambulances putting lives at risk.)
Any other matters? Well this scheme was supposed to improve traffic and the environment and make it safer for everyone. It has done the exact opposite.
Then there’s the council’s public protection policy, environment policy, human rights, etc. ..
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