Highgate Lib Dem councillors are asking Tubelines to think again over plans for a six-foot fence adjacent to Highgate Tube station. Cllr Bob Hare, who is also the Lib Dem Environment spokesperson, says that despite Tubelines’ own acoustic report throwing out the case for a solid six foot high acoustic fence along the top of the Highgate station cutting, the company says they’re going ahead with it.

The fence, which is designed to reflect sound, will stretch from the top of the escalator (beside the Woodman pub on the corner of Muswell Hill Road) all the way to Shepherds Hill.

It will be six feet high for much of its length, although lower at the Shepherds Hill end (where there is no ‘drop’ behind it). Cllr Hare says that such a fence will block views of the greenery alongside Highgate Station.

It will look rather like a fence around a building site, but would be permanent.

Acoustic fences are often used alongside motorways where sound protection is needed for residents. It is designed to reflect traffic noise, in this case back towards the shops and the pavements.

The acoustic report was only sent to Cllr Bob Hare and distributed by him to others after the meeting. This report says:

“There has been no significant effect on traffic noise levels at residential properties around Highgate Station as a result of the removal of vegetation for the embankment stabilisation works.”

The local representatives of the Highgate Society, the Highgate Conservation Area Committee, the Shepherds Hill Association and of Jacksons Lane also oppose the Tubelines plan.

Cllr Bob Hare points out there was no-one at the meeting to represent either the shops and businesses or the many residents who live above the shops – the people directly affected. Before the meeting was held, the Highgate Society wrote to Tubelines asking them to make sure representatives from Archway Road were present.

Cllr Bob Hare has called on Tubelines to hold a further meeting at which the businesses and residents of Archway Road are present. This has been refused by Tubelines, who say they are going ahead with the existing proposal.

Cllr Bob Hare said:

“We have an inequitable result – the people most affected by a decision have not been consulted or even notified. These businesses and residents are alongside Archway Road and must be allowed to participate in a decision that will profoundly affect them.”

“If a six foot acoustic fence is put up, there will be more noise for Archway Road, and even more important, not only will everyone lose much of the pleasant view of greenery, but it will inevitably be ‘open house’ for endless graffiti and posters. The quality of the environment for residents will be greatly damaged and businesses will suffer as a consequence.”

A four-page petition from businesses and customers has been sent to Tubelines, but this has also been ignored.

Cllr Neil Williams adds: “The acoustic report has removed the justification for such a damaging fence. The businesses and people who will be affected must be given the chance to put their views forward.

“Consultation has been severely flawed. At the beginning of these works, Tubelines started without liaising with Transport for London – who, had they been asked, would have allowed the reinforcement works to be done from Archway Road itself instead of from the bottom of the cutting. This would have avoided nearly all of the noise problem because the vegetation and lower tree branches and even several trees would not have needed to be completely removed. Now, there is still time to re-think. We strongly urge them to do so: they are going to be judged by the end result.”