Healthy School Streets consultation - New End Primary School Permanent Proposals

Overview

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed how people in Camden live, travel and work. Since the start of the pandemic many of us have been spending more time closer to home, making our neighbourhoods more important than ever. We want our streets to be safe spaces for you to walk and cycle, for children to get to and from school safely and healthily, for businesses to be able to flourish and for you to be breathing cleaner air.

Healthy School Streets create a safer and healthier environment by temporarily closing roads to traffic outside schools during drop-off and pick-up times. This enables more children to walk, cycle or scoot to school, with less air pollution, road danger, congestion and more space for people to physically distance. Healthy School Streets (HSS) help to discourage car trips, particularly amongst parents/carers, by providing a safe and inviting space for more walking, cycling and scooting.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, a number of HSS schemes have been rolled out across Camden since March 2020. There are currently a total of 18 schools with HSS, including New End Primary School and Heathside Preparatory School. The New End HSS scheme was implemented in January 2020, just before the first Covid-19 lockdown, following an initial consultation in 2019.

The original consultation for a HSS in this location followed concerns raised by New End School staff, and some local residents regarding the safety of pupils due to the congested road network in the area, insufficient pavement widths in some locations, and heavy parking activity. There were also complaints made to both the school and Camden's Transport Strategy team from local residents regarding bad driver behaviour and parking issues on New End near the schools, as well as reports of ‘rat-running’ traffic on New End and other nearby streets.

Why your views matter

Following the consultation in February 2019, a decision was made to implement the New End Healthy School Street scheme as a trial, under an Experimental Traffic Order (ETO). The report, which can be viewed here noted that a further consultation, after around 12 months of the trial scheme, would then take place on any proposed permanent arrangements. The trial scheme went live in January 2020. An ETO can only run for a total of 18 months. We are now consulting on a permanent HSS in this location.

However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, the HSS scheme at New End did not operate between mid-March 2020 and September 2020, as was originally intended. Therefore this consultation is being carried out slightly after the previously proposed 12 month period (which was originally scheduled for January 2021) to allow more time for the scheme to operate. The scheme has been fully operational for approximately seven months.

The consultation leaflet and detailed information documents can be found in the 'related documents' at the bottom of this page and give more information about data on the scheme and feedback gathered during the ETO period. The original decision report for the scheme can also be found in the related documents section

We want to know what you think about these proposals.

Proposed change to the current scheme

If, following this consultation, it is decided that the scheme is to be made permanent, it will remain operating as it is currently, but with a change to the exemptions to the restrictions. Currently, vehicles that have parking permits for the whole of Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) CA-H are exempt from the restrictions. In line with other Healthy School Streets in the Borough, we are now proposing to exempt vehicles registered to businesses or residents of the “restricted area” only. This applies to those who, without an exemption, would have no access to the road(s) where their vehicle is registered. This restricted area includes Upper Hampstead Walk and the new Novel House development on New End (a map is included in the 'related information' section). Current exemptions for emergency vehicles and refuse collection vehicles will continue. This change supports our wider ‘COVID-19 Safer Travel’ response (see 'related links below), which aims to minimise a car based recovery from lockdown. All CA-H permit holders outside of the restricted area can access their streets by alternative routes without needing an exemption. If this change is made the signage for the scheme would be altered accordingly.

The restricted area where exemptions will still apply is shown in red and blue on the attached drawing in 'related documents' at the bottom of this page.

The following vehicles would be exempt from the restrictions:

• Vehicles registered to properties and businesses on New End in the restricted area
• Any vehicle being used for fire brigade, ambulance or policing purposes
• Refuse collection teams
• Blue Disabled Badge holders resident on New End in the restricted area
• Pupils of New End or Heathside Prep Schools that have a disability that prevents them from walking, cycling or scooting to school.

Taxis and deliveries will not be exempt, and these should be scheduled outside of the restricted times. However exemptions can be applied for in exceptional circumstances, such as when people with mobility issues may need essential taxis during the restricted hours.      

What we are now consulting on

Based on the overall positive traffic data during the times of the restrictions, air quality information, and feedback received during the trial period we are now consulting on making the scheme permanent. Details of the scheme are as follows:

• Timed road closure at the junction of New End and Heath Street during the morning peak times of 7.30am-9.30am Monday to Friday during school term time only. This is enforced by using a traffic enforcement CCTV camera placed at the Heath Street and New End junction which would remain in place as it is currently.
• Timed road closure at the New End T-junction at school opening and closing times of 8am-9am and 3-4pm Monday to Friday during school term time only. This is enforced using a traffic enforcement CCTV camera placed at the T-Junction on New End and would remain in place as it is currently.
• Build out of pavement at the T-Junction on New End – this would remain in place as it is currently.
• Two new trees – these would remain in place, near the corner of Grove Place as they are currently.
• No longer exempting the whole of the CA-H controlled parking zone from the restrictions – current exemptions for residents/businesses in the restricted areas marked in red and blue on the drawing would continue to apply. Emergency service and refuse vehicles would also be exempt from the restrictions.