Camden Council with English Heritage and the Georgian Group proposee major changes to make the square more attractive.
Click here to see the consultation leaflet
CCC’s response
CCC is very much in favour of the idea of returning Fitzroy Square to its former glory. However, we are very disappointed that some important needs of cyclists have been ignored. Many aspects of this consultation are unclear so we sent an email to John Futcher (see below). As John was on leave, Sam Monck forwarded it to Martin Reading, but we have had no reply. This accounts for the complexity of our response.
The service road
The consultation leaflet leaves it unclear as to what is proposed for the surface of the service road. The drawing uses the same colour for the area inside the lamp columns as for the service road. It also indicates resin gravel surfacing for the former, which we are happy about.
- a resin gravel surface of the service road is acceptable for cycling;
- the existing service road is very uncomfortable and possibly hazardous for cyclists due to the bands of very rugged granite setts. In fact most cyclists turn onto the footway to avoid these bands.
The access ramps
The existing access ramps are too rugged.
Please would you the new access ramps are built in a material suitable for cycling.
Levels the same throughout
We can see no problem for cyclists, provided that the access ramps are suitable.
Lockable bollards
Taking the gates out and having a rising approach will make it better for cyclists getting in and out of the square; as it currently is, there’s only space for one cyclist to pass through the south-west corner.
Cycle parking
There is currently no cycle parking in the square – this must be remedied.
A similar scheme to improve Bedford Square (in 2005) considered cycle parking. It went as far as an attempt to match cycle parking to demand and imaginitively placed some of the cycle parking in the carriageway to maximise footway width.
Why is it that, two years later, when cycling has increased in importance, no mention is made of cycle parking in this consultation?
Permeability of the surrounding area
Many of the streets adjacent to Fitzroy Square are one way, making it difficult for cyclists to avoid detours. A cyclist who works in Fitzroy Square needs to commute home via the Outer Circle of Regents Park. Currently this can be done only by going south to Howland Street and New Cavendish Street – a very big detour.
Carburton Street has a short one-way stretch (basically just an exit road for the carpark), where there is lots of room for a contraflow lane (but it is in Westminster). Please would you initiate a study with Westminster Council as to how this westbound movement might be enabled.
Study carried out in about 2000. Some years ago, Camden Council carried out a study around Fitzroy Square. A site meeting was held with Paul Gasson and David Arditti of Camden Cycling campaign who made suggestions for creating EW and NS routes via the square. None of these have been taken up. Please would you locate the report on this earlier consultation.
