Map shows where traffic will be banned on Camden High Street

Motor traffic will be blocked off in the heart of London’s Camden Town after pedestrianisation plans were given a go-ahead.

A section of Camden High Street loved by tourists will be closed off to traffic after the council approved a new pedestrianisation trial.

One of the busiest sections of the High Street near the Camden Tube station will be closed off to motor vehicles at all times, except for emergency services and bin collections.

Camden High Street is popular among tourists as the area boasts the Camden Market, independent shops and restaurants.

Buses and taxis will be diverted on nearby roads and portering points set up off the High Street for business deliveries.

But, the initial changes will be temporary as part of the 18-month trial before a decision will be made whether the changes will be permanent.

Map shows where Camden High Street will close for traffic

Camden Council announced it will close the high street to motor vehicles between the Parkway and Kentish Town Road near the Tube station to the Jamestown Road and Hawley Crescent junction following the consultation.

Buses and traffic will be diverted on nearby Kentish Town Road and Hawley Crescent and one-way systems would be created on nearby roads.

Buck Street located just off Stucley Place would be used for loading and ‘portering’ where goods would be taken to businesses using walkable trolleys.

The traffic-free trial is set to ran ‘over a maximum of 18 months to create a safer, more attractive and enjoyable Camden High Street,’ the council said.

Before making the changes permanent, the council would carry out a full public consultation a year into the trial.

The announcement received mixed feelings from residents and business owners.

Martin Ashton, the owner of Ktown Studios near Camden High Street and a resident, said he is concerned over traffic chaos on nearby streets.

He said his ‘concern as a resident is that the amount of traffic being pushed onto Kentish Town Road will cause so much congestion for residents who drive for work in the area.’

Martin told Metro: ‘The plans to redevelop Regis Road will cause Kentish Town High Street to come to a standstill so by adding all this extra traffic is not great planning.

‘Camden Council’s trials always seem to be implemented permanently.

‘I think a more measured approach would be to pedestrianise it at weekends.’

The council said monitoring will be carried out during the trial to assess its impact on bus journeys, traffic volume and speeds, air quality and road traffic collision data along with footfall figures, which would be used ‘as part of the decision making process before the end of the trial period.’

Camden Council said it had 1,860 responses to its consultation which ran over the summer.

The council said that 62% of respondents in the consultation area agreed with the proposal to trial a motor traffic free section on the High Street, while 32% disagreed.

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Support for the scheme was slightly lower among Camden residents and businesses outside the High Street area, while those most in favour were respondents from outside Camden.

The main concerns included traffic, parking and congestion, justification for the proposal, loading and deliveries, anti-social behaviour and local businesses.

One respondent said: ‘In general, these shopping streets, especially tourist heavy streets, would all be greatly improved by not allowing traffic. They would feel safer, allow people to browse more shops and not worry about crossing the busy road.’

Councillor Adam Harrison, a cabinet member for planning and a sustainable Camden, said: ‘Camden Town is an internationally recognised destination and an important transport hub. Its iconic markets, music venues, and businesses draw people in from across London, the rest of the UK, and the world.

‘The high street is the first thing many people see when they exit Camden Town tube or get off the bus. But at peak times there can be as many as 40,000 people on the high street, creating significant overcrowding and a stressful experience. So many people ask why the high street is not already pedestrianised – now we are delivering on that call.’

Elsewhere, the plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street took one step closer to becoming a reality after the London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced a publication consultation on it.

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