Christchurch Hill and Flask Walk/ Well Walk Area Safe & Healthy Streets Consultation

Overview

We are seeking your views on proposals to create safer, healthier streets for residents and visitors to this area, including children and parents travelling to Christ Church Primary school and anyone visiting the Well Walk Theatre. 

The measures proposed include an 18 months’ trial Healthy School Street (timed restrictions to motor vehicles), as well as other proposed permanent measures to improve road safety, cycle connectivity and pedestrian accessibility.

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.

In line with our Camden Transport Strategy, Climate Action Plan, and Clean Air Strategy and Clean Air Action Plan, and to continue supporting safe, healthy, and active travel, we have been making changes across Camden as part of our Safe and Healthy Streets Programme.

We propose to introduce a trial Healthy School Street timed motor vehicle restrictions near Christ Church primary school. Healthy School Streets (HSS) create a safer and healthier environment by temporarily closing roads to motor 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 stop and chat. HSS help to discourage car trips, particularly amongst parents and carers, by providing a safe and inviting space for more walking, cycling, and scooting. 

There are now 31 Healthy School Street schemes in the borough, with a total of 35 schools in those locations having timed or permanent road closures. The monitoring data that we have collected on these schemes, which can be accessed on our website, has shown that they can have a positive impact on reducing traffic levels outside schools, contribute to improved air quality and are often supported by pupils who want us to do more to improve their journey to school.

In addition we are proposing a number of permanent measures to enhance the environment for pedestrians and improve accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists in the area, as well as enhancing  road safety for all road users, through some traffic restrictions, enhanced crossings, wider pavements, and the creation of a new public space.

About the proposed Christchurch Hill and Flask Walk/Well Walk area Safe and Healthy Street scheme

This scheme adopts a holistic approach towards improving road safety, supporting travel by foot, bike and scooters as well as contributing to improvements in air quality in the area. It is a combination of trial Healthy School Street proposals, around Christ Church Primary School, and other proposed permanent Safe and Healthy Street changes in the wider area. 

Over the past two years, our Commonplace Safe Travel webpages have allowed residents to provide feedback on positive and negative transport issues across Camden. We have received comments from some stakeholders raising concerns on through traffic at peak times in the Christchurch Hill and Flask Walk area, and that roads in the area are busy with school run traffic at school run times.  We also have received requests from some residents for the following:

• Measures to reduce through traffic in the area
• Measures to reduce motor vehicle speeds
• Improved pavements
• A Healthy School Street or similar through traffic restrictions in the Christchurch Hill area
• Better pedestrian crossings
• Improved junction safety for pedestrians and cyclists

We have also received requests from two local residents’ associations as well as the Well Walk Theatre to reduce motor traffic and improve the pedestrian environment outside the theatre and along Willow Road.

We have collected traffic count data at a number of locations in the area across an average week during school term time which shows that traffic volumes on these streets are at some of their highest levels during school run times. Figure 1 below outlines data collected on Christchurch Hill, where Christ Church primary school is located.

Figure 1 –Christchurch Hill Weekday Daily Traffic Levels, in the week commencing 01/02/2022

Figure 1 shows that traffic levels on Christchurch Hill peak during school run times on Monday to Friday. This equates to a 5-day-daily average of over 84 vehicles per hour between 8am and 9am, and then rise again to around 138 per hour vehicles between 3pm and 4pm. Similar data from Holford Road and Cannon Place also shows peaks at school run times, as they are used to access and exit from Christchurch Hill. These streets are therefore also proposed to be included within the HSS scheme.

Hampstead Square is included in the scheme proposals as it would then remove the ability for parents using Hampstead Square as an alternative pick up and drop off location to the proposed restrictions on the streets immediately around the school.

As noted in the Conservation Area Statement for Hampstead, this part of Hampstead comprises an intricate network of narrow footways and lanes running down the slopes to connect different street levels, which are not suitable for large numbers of vehicles and so they can create a challenging environment for children who are walking, cycling or scooting to school.  In addition, the Hampstead Neighbourhood Plan notes that “excessive traffic is a concern for residents, especially because it worsens air quality in the area with many schools and green spaces”.

Following feedback received from some residents and stakeholders, having carried out the above monitoring, in line with our policies set out above and our ambition to roll out Healthy School Streets to all feasible schools by 2025, we are proposing a trial Healthy School Street scheme with timed motor vehicle restrictions on Christchurch Hill, Holford Road, Cannon Place and Hampstead Square between 8.15 am – 9.15 am and 3pm - 4pm, Monday to Friday during school term only.

The following streets would have trial timed HSS restrictions:

• Christchurch Hill: between Cannon Place and Well Road
• Cannon Place: whole street
• Holford Road: between 7 Holford Road and Cannon Place
• Hampstead Square: whole street

The scheme would include relevant signage alerting drivers to the restrictions at the start of each restricted section of the above roads. The Healthy School Street signage would state the times of the road closures and would be closed during school holidays.

The proposals would help make it safer and easier for children to walk, cycle or scoot to school, with less air pollution, road danger, congestion, and more space for people to interact.

We propose to trial the Healthy School Street measures 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 scheme permanent, remove it entirely, or keep it with some changes. If we proposed to make the trial scheme permanent with any substantial changes, we would hold a further full public consultation beforehand.

A scheme drawing for the proposed measures can be found in the Related section at the bottom of this page.

The following vehicles would be exempt from the timed Healthy School Street restrictions by applying for an exemption.

• Vehicles registered to properties and businesses on the sections of the streets within the timed restriction area (exemptions would need to be applied for and agreed with the Council)
• Vehicles belonging to parents with a Blue Badge who have a pupil attending Christchurch Hill primary school or parents/carers of pupils of the school that have a disability that prevents them from walking, cycling, or scooting to school (exemptions would need to be agreed with the Council)

Emergency services such as ambulance, fire brigade or police, Door to door services such as Plus Bus and Dial A Ride and refuse collection vehicles and other statutory services will be automatically exempt.

School staff and visitors to the schools would not be exempt. Taxis and delivery vehicles would not be exempt, and such trips would need to be scheduled outside of the restricted times or the vehicles would need to be parked outside of the restricted area. However, exemptions can be applied for in exceptional circumstances, such as when elderly or disabled people may need essential taxi journeys during the restricted hours. All the requests for exemptions can be applied for by contacting the Healthy School Streets team over the phone or via email. If the scheme goes ahead, details of how to apply for an exemption will be posted to residents and businesses in the consultation area.

The following photo shows an example of an existing Healthy School Street which demonstrates how that element of the proposed scheme could look. Similar signage is proposed to be installed as a part of this scheme.

Other proposed permanent Safe and Healthy Street changes in the area

In addition to the above proposed trial timed HSS restrictions, we are also proposing additional permanent measures in the area to reduce traffic dominance, improve pedestrian and cycle accessibility, improve road safety and air quality including:

• Enabling those on bikes to go through the northbound ‘no entry’ sign on Holford Road, at the junction with Cannon Place, by removing the pavement extension and installing ‘except for cycles’ signs. One Resident parking bay would be converted into a blue badge parking bay. 
• Replacing the existing firegate on the link between Hampstead Square and Cannon Place with Bollards and installing cycle logos on bollards to enable those on bikes to travel between Hampstead Square and Cannon Place. These proposals are in line with our policies to improve cycle permeability on all feasible streets.    
• Planting three trees to improve street greening and adding four cycle stands on the existing widened pavement on Christchurch Hill, outside the school, and upgrade the surface material.
• Making Cannon Lane (between Squire’s Mount and East Heath Road) one way eastbound at all times allowing cycling in both directions, to improve road safety on this very narrow street. This proposal would require the removal of three resident parking spaces at the junction of Squires Mount and Cannon Place to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety at this junction.
• Introducing an at all times motor vehicle restriction (except for cycles) on Cannon Lane between Well Road and Squire’s Mount:  This section of Cannon Lane is very narrow for two way traffic and this restriction would provide a safer pedestrian environment.
• Making New End Square one way southbound, to reduce traffic entering New End Square from the south, reducing road danger and improving the pedestrian environment.
• Creating a new public space on Well Walk opposite the Well Walk Theatre by closing the northern arm of the current traffic triangle, and replacing it with a widened pavement, planting and rainwater gardens. You can see an example of a rain garden in the photo guide. This would improve road safety, create more space for people and contribute to the character of this part of Hampstead as well as helping to reduce flood risk. This would require the relocation of two car club bays, removal of seven residents parking bays, and making the southern arm of the triangle two-way for all traffic.
• Widening the pavement on Willow Road on both sides of the junction with Gayton Road (including outside the Well Walk Theatre) to provide more space for pedestrians to gather, safely cross and enter/exit the theatre. This would require the removal of two resident parking bays on Gayton Road as part of Camden's Junction Protection Programme and the conversation of two resident parking bays into Car Club Bays. 
• Widening the pavement along Flask Walk, from Willow Road to Gardnor Road, to provide more space for pedestrians on this very narrow pavement. 
• Widening the pavement around the junction of Gardnor Road and Flask Walk to provide more space for pedestrians and shorten the crossing distance across the junction. This would require the removal of two resident parking spaces. 

The proposed changes can be viewed on the consultation drawing in the Related section at the bottom of the page.

There would be no exemptions available for the permanent restrictions for any vehicles at any time apart from emergency services.   

Online public meeting

An online public meeting will be held during the consultation period, on Thursday 7^th March 2024, from 6pm -7.30pm to discuss the proposals and where officers can answer questions.

If you wish to register your attendance at this event please register your interest.

Why your views matter

This is your opportunity to comment

The Council will be pleased to hear your views on the trial measures and the permanent proposals, as well as any alternative suggestions or objections you may have to any aspect of what we are proposing. For information on how we will use data collected from this consultation read our privacy statement: Data protection, privacy and cookies - Camden Council

The proposed Healthy School Street timed restriction changes, 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 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.

It is important to note that monitoring from previous Healthy School Street schemes and safe and Healthy Street Schemes has shown that there can be a reduction in traffic on neighbouring roads outside the restricted area, especially once residents have had time to get used to the changes.

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 HSS streets and surrounding roads 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 and Camden officers would be available to answer any questions or concerns via our dedicated Healthy School Streets email inbox.

What happens next

 As the consultation is now closed,your views, and those of everyone who contributes to this consultation, will be analysed and considered, alongside relevant data available on the scheme and in light of how the scheme aligns with our current policy objectives, in order to put forward recommendations on whether to proceed with the proposals. A summary of this analysis will be provided in the decision report, and will be made available on the Camden Council website in due course.

If you have any other ideas for improvements to make travel safer and healthier in this area, please go to Safe Travel Camden Map  to make some suggestions.