Parkhill, Lawn and Fleet - Safe and Healthy Streets Consultation

Overview

We want our streets to have more safe space for everyone to walk and cycle, for children to get to and from school safely and healthily, for businesses to be able to flourish, to reduce carbon emissions from vehicles and for you to be breathing cleaner air.

We want our streets to provide a lasting legacy of greener, safer, healthier travel.

As 71% of households in Camden do not own a car and public transport use remains much lower than before the pandemic, we know that safe and easy walking, cycling and scooting routes are more important than ever. Supporting and encouraging those who are able to walk and cycle, by creating safer streets will ensure that there is more space available on public transport and on our roads for those who need it the most.

Parkhill, Lawn and Fleet - Safe and Healthy Streets proposals 

We want to improve road safety on Fleet Road, outside Fleet Primary School, and on the residential streets between Fleet Road and Haverstock Hill. We also want to make it easier, safer and more enjoyable for people walking, wheeling and cycling to travel in the area. 

This consultation sets out a mix of permanent and trial proposals with changes across the area including Parkhill Road, Lawn Road, Upper Park Road, Downside Crescent, Garnett Road and Tasker Road.  

Proposals 

1. Creating a Main Road Healthy School Street on Fleet Road 

We’re proposing to deliver permanent improvements on Fleet Road near Fleet Primary School as part of what we call a “Main Road” Healthy School Street project 

Fleet Road outside of Fleet Primary School 

What are Main Road Healthy School Streets? 

Healthy School Streets are designed to create a safer and more inviting environment around schools enabling more children to walk, cycle or scoot to school. To date we have 30 Healthy School Streets in the borough covering 41 schools, which mainly restrict traffic at pickup and drop off times on the local streets. We are now planning a programme of improvements for schools located on main roads to improve road safety and the street environment in those locations where it is not possible to restrict through-traffic. 

It is not possible to introduce typical Healthy School Street motor vehicle restrictions on Fleet Road as this is a main road and bus route. Instead to create a permanent Main Road Healthy School Street for Fleet Primary School we are proposing: 

• Widening the pavement on the Fleet Primary side to provide space for planting to create a natural buffer between Fleet Road, the pavement and school. Widening the pavement would also narrow the road and help to slow motor vehicle speeds through this area. 

• Planting new trees and rain gardens – subject to further feasibility. Rain Gardens are areas of planting which soak up extra rainwater, helping to reduce local flooding 

• Raising the current signalised crossing, outside the entrance to the school on Fleet Road, to slow traffic speeds and make it safer for people crossing 

• Providing additional facilities such as benches and seating outside the school, a planted green screen to act as a noise and air pollution barrier, and art in the form of an imprint of the River Fleet to recognise the natural history of the area 

2.Trialling Safe & Healthy Streets changes at Parkhill Road and Lawn Road  

To support our plans for the Fleet Road main road Healthy School Street, we are proposing to trial changes to Parkhill Road and Lawn Road where they meet Fleet Road.  

Currently on Fleet Road at the junctions with Parkhill Road and Lawn Road people have to cross these wide road junctions using pedestrian traffic islands in the middle of each crossing. This is especially difficult for children and people with pushchairs on the school run. People cycling along Fleet Road currently also have to contend with motor vehicles entering and exiting both Parkhill Road and Fleet Road. This busy road layout makes it harder for people crossing these side roads and makes it less safe for people cycling along Fleet Road.  

We propose to introduce a trial one-way system for motor vehicles on Parkhill Road and Lawn Road where they meet Fleet Road. This would mean Parkhill Road becoming exit only at Fleet Road, and Lawn Road becoming entry only at Fleet Road. Cycles would be exempt.  

These proposed trial changes would make it safer for all pedestrians crossing these junctions as they would only have to deal with motor traffic approaching from one direction and the crossing distance across both roads would be shorter. The changes would also make it safer for people cycling along Fleet Road by reducing the number of junctions where motor vehicles can turn left off Fleet Road.  

We propose to trial these proposed one way changes using an Experimental Traffic Order (ETO) for a period of up to 18 months, at which point a decision would be made whether to make the changes permanent, remove them entirely, or keep them with some changes. If we proposed to make the trial changes permanent with any substantial changes, we would hold a further full public consultation before. For more information on the proposed trial please see the “Why your views matter” section near the bottom of this page.  

Parkhill Road / Fleet Road junction 

Lawn Road / Fleet Road 

3. Traffic calming between Fleet Road and Haverstock Hill 

To address traffic speeding and road safety concerns within the residential streets between Fleet Road and Haverstock Hill, we are proposing  to upgrade existing and introduce new permanent traffic calming measures. This includes the following proposals: 

• Upgrading the existing speed humps on Parkhill Road to sinusoidal speed humps. Sinusoidal speed humps are a more effective traffic calming measure than traditional speed humps and are safer and more comfortable for people cycling. We propose to introduce new sinusoidal speed humps on:  

  • Lawn Road
  • Upper Park Road 
  • Downside Crescent 
  • Garnett Road 
  • Tasker Road  

Existing speed humps on Parkhill Road 

4. Minor junction improvements 

There are a number of priority junctions within the residential streets between Fleet Road and Haverstock Hill, and we are proposing minor changes to make it easier and safer for people walking, wheeling and cycling. We proposed to improve visibility for people crossing the road and vehicles at junctions by upgrading waiting restrictions through introducing and extending double yellow lines  – at the following junctions:  

• Lawn Road / Garnett Road: Existing single yellow line restriction upgraded to double yellow lines and extended, requiring the removal of 6.1m of resident parking bays on Lawn Road 
• Upper Park Road / Garnett Road: Existing single yellow line restriction upgraded to double yellow lines and extended, requiring the removal of 4.2m of resident parking bays on Garnett Road, 1.9m of resident parking bays on Upper Park Road and 3 echelon parking bays on Upper Park Road 
• Parkhill Road / Garnett Road: Existing single yellow line restriction upgraded to double yellow lines and extended, requiring the removal of 5m of resident parking bays on Parkhill Road and 5m of resident parking bays on Garnett Road
• Lawn Road / Downside Crescent: Existing single yellow line restriction upgraded to double yellow lines, requiring the removal of 6.5m of resident parking bays on Lawn Road and 7m of resident parking bays on Downside Crescent 
• Upper Park Road / Tasker Road: Existing single yellow line restriction upgraded to double yellow lines, requiring the removal of 2m of resident parking bays on Upper Park Road and 3.5m of resident parking bays on Tasker Road 
• Parkhill Road / Tasker Road: Existing single yellow line restriction upgraded to double yellow lines, requiring the removal of 7.5m of resident parking bays on Tasker Road 
• Upper Park Road / Lawn Road: Existing single yellow line restriction upgraded to double yellow lines, no parking loss required 

Lawn Road / Downside Crescent junction 

5. Relocating the Abacus School coach bay on Parkhill Road 

The Abacus School uses the coach bay outside Hampstead Fine Arts College on Parkhill Road as their pickup and drop-off point. The current coach bay is located between vehicle driveways for the Fine Arts College and a residential property, increasing the chance of unnecessary interactions between Abacus school students, parents and carers and vehicles accessing the College or residential property. A minor relocation would provide better and safer access for all at school pickup and drop-off times.  

We are proposing to relocate the coach bay further south on Parkhill Road by converting 15m of resident parking bays to a designated coach bay. We also propose to convert the existing coach bay into a rain garden, to provide planting, biodiversity, and added capacity for the local stormwater network.  

Example of a rain garden 

Parking changes 

The list below summarises the changes in parking due to minor junction improvements and relocation of the Abacus School coach bay: 

• Lawn Road – Loss of 2.5 resident parking bays 

• Upper Park Road – Loss of 3 resident parking bays 

• Garnett Road – Loss of 2 resident parking bays 

• Parkhill Road – Loss of 4 resident parking bays 

• Downside Crescent – Loss of 1.5 resident parking bays 

• Tasker Road – Loss of 2 resident parking bays 

Making the above changes would require the removal of a total of 15 resident parking spaces within Controlled Parking Zone (CA-B), leaving 472 resident bays with 380 Active resident parking spaces on the streets listed above. This is considered sufficient to cater to the number of active permits in the area. 

To view the plans click on the links in the Related Section at the bottom of this page.  

The proposed trial measures (proposal 2), if approved, would be implemented as a trial under an ETO for a maximum of 18 months. After the consultation, a decision report will be produced and published online via our website. Local residents and stakeholders will be notified of the outcome.  Monitoring data collected, feedback from residents and stakeholders received during the ETO period, and relevant policies, would then help inform the Council’s decision as to whether, at the end of the trial period, the scheme should be made permanent, modified (and, if so, whether with or without changes) or allowed to lapse. The proposals for permanent Safe and Healthy Streets measures (proposals 1, 2, 4, 5) would not form part of the trial and would be installed, if approved, following the statutory consultation as required. If we propose to make the trial scheme permanent with any substantial changes, we would hold a further full public consultation beforehand. 

Consultation responses as well as data and Council policies will also inform the decision on whether to progress the proposed permanent measures.  

We would also collect a range of pre and post scheme monitoring data: traffic counts on the streets in the area to ascertain the impact of the scheme, monitoring of traffic speeds, levels of cycling, road traffic collision data, and air quality. We would also have a Commonplace survey open for the duration of the trial so that feedback could be collected on the scheme  

To view the plans click on the links in the Related Section at the bottom of this page.

For information on how we will use data collected from this consultation read our privacy statement: Data protection, privacy and cookies - Camden Council

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