Seven Dials - parking changes to facilitate a Streatery

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.

COVID-19 has created new challenges for our local economy and the Council is committed to supporting our local businesses to reopen safely as lock down measures ease. We are working to provide new ways to support and boost our local high streets and town centres whilst keeping them safe and secure for our communities.

Social distancing rules mean that indoor seating is limited. In 2020 the UK Government introduced new legislation to make it easier for businesses to apply for pavement licences for outdoor eating and drinking so that they could continue to trade, but many pavements in the borough are too narrow to allow tables and chairs outside.

During 2020 we set up a Streateries programme to support the hospitality sector so that they could continue to trade, particularly during the summer months. A Streatery is a car free outdoor dining space for restaurants, cafes and other businesses to place tables and chairs in the road, protected by barriers, so that pedestrians can pass safely all while maintaining social distancing.

To help the hospitality sector's recovery, we are now reviewing our existing Streateries programme and proposing new locations ready for businesses to use as lockdown eases. It is vital that we consult now to help those businesses across the Borough who need to, have additional space for outdoor dining and take advantage of the Government’s recent extension of the temporary licensing arrangements, so that they can reopen safely as soon as possible after restrictions ease on 12^th April, in line with the Government's roadmap out of lockdown.

Why your views matter

We are proposing to make changes to the previously implemented Safe and Healthy Streets Scheme in Seven Dials and associated Emergency Traffic Order  to create the space for a new Streatery in Seven Dials. We want people to have a say to help shape the new designs.

We propose to relocate 9 resident parking bays from Earlham Street East to Monmouth Street North and Shorts Gardens to create a safe space for tables and chairs, with barriers placed at the edge of the new space. 

The proposed changes include amendments to existing parking bays and restrictions on Earlham Street East, Shorts Gardens and Monmouth St North including:

• Conversion of nine Resident Parking spaces on Earlham Street East to double yellow lines, to allow for space for Streateries.
• Conversion of double yellow lines on Monmouth Street North to five Resident Parking spaces, relocated from Earlham Street East.
• Conversion of single yellow line on Shorts Gardens to four Resident Parking spaces, relocated from Earlham Street East.

The overall number of Resident Parking spaces in the area will remain the same as per the Seven Dials Safer Streets scheme currently in place.

To view the plans and find out more about what each proposal would achieve, click on the links in the Related Section at the bottom of this page.

Over the summer we will be consulting on final proposals for the wider Seven Dials area traffic reduction scheme and will be contacting local residents and stakeholders separately for this.

In line with new Department for Transport guidance, we are now consulting on all new and amended Safe and Healthy Street schemes so that we can engage our local residents, businesses and stakeholders in changes happening on their streets. We want to know what you think about these additional proposals.

What happens next

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.

Over the summer we will be consulting on final proposals for the wider Seven Dials area traffic reduction scheme and will be contacting local residents and stakeholders separately on this.