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Camden Council writes:
The main objective of the Chancery Lane Area Enhancement Scheme is to create a high quality street environment that makes the area more pleasant and easy to use for workers, residents and visitors to the area. Cycling and walking will be more convenient as public highways and open spaces are better connected and easier to use through a series of street enhancements. These improvements will build upon the unique character of the Chancery Lane area as the City’s legal quarter, emphasising its rich architectural and cultural heritage and encouraging its growing retail and leisure facilities.
Click here to see the consultation leaflet
CCC’s response
This response to the consultation from CoL and Camden on the proposed enhancements to Chancery Lane and the surrounding area is from Camden Cycling Campaign, the local borough group of London Cycling Campaign (LCC). We have approximately 650 members and represent the interests of cyclists living or working in the borough of Camden.
We welcome the reduction of motor traffic and the potential of two-way cycling in the middle part of Chancery Lane, which should make a southbound cycle route feasible, though somewhat tortuous (see diagram). We also welcome the planned provision of cycle stands. But we are concerned about the loss of access via Bream’s Buildings and Cursitor Street and about the proposal to make Carey Street one-way, all of which will both reduce east-west permeability and restrict access to the Chancery Lane area for cyclists, contrary to your intentions as stated in the vision document and elsewhere. We have discussed the plans with LCC and the neighbouring borough cycling groups (City of London and Westminster) and have the following requests:
- Make the whole of Chancery Lane two-way for cycles (no need for contraflow lanes) to create a direct southbound route.
- Sign the western ends of Bream’s Buildings and Cursitor Street for shared pedestrian/cycle use with dropped kerbs at each end of the pedestrian sections to maintain permeability.
- Regularise the situation at the southern end of Bell Yard by making it clear that cyclists can use it to access Fleet Street as shown on the TfL maps.
- Keep Carey Street two-way, at least for cycles.
We would be very happy to discuss the proposals and our suggested amendments; please do not hesitate to contact me by email or phone.
Thank you for consulting us, and for the very comprehensive and clear brochures you produced.
John Chamberlain
April 17 2009