Emily Thornberry has visited the Brothers at Sutton's Hospital, a refuge in a hidden corner of Clerkenwell off Charterhouse Square, after the council ignored their views and removed a traffic island that had enabled them to cross busy Clerkenwell Road.
Sutton's Hospital, which is home to elderly men in need of care, is part of a 7-acre hidden collection of buildings dating from the 12th century, which stretches from Charterhouse Square to Clerkenwell Road.
For years, the residents in the refuge had been using a nearby traffic island to cross Clerkenwell Road that borders the north side of the site. However, without asking the Brothers, the council removed the traffic island earlier this year. Without the traffic island, even a young able-bodied person would have difficultly crossing Clerkenwell Road - for the elderly Brothers, it is near impossible.
Emily got onto the council about making the road safe to cross, and on Friday, she visited to Brothers to discuss the problem and see it first-hand.
Emily said:
"The traffic island on Clerkenwell Road was a lifeline to the Brothers - it made it safe for them. Now it's been taken away, without the council even asking them. I am making sure the council listens to them and makes the street safe again for them to cross."
Brothers Peter Giles, Michael Stevens, Raymond Salisbury-Jones met Emily to talk to her about the problem.
Raymond said:
"For years, we had been using a traffic island to get across Clerkenwell Road safely - but then suddenly it got removed without anyone telling us.
"We got in touch with Emily who got onto the council about it - she is getting the council to make the road safe again"
