Camden are consulting on a major scheme to improve the streets in the Christchurch Hill, Cannon Place and Hampstead Square area of Hampstead. This would include Healthy School Streets in the vicinity of Christ Church Primary school. Motor traffic would be banned between 8.15 – 9.15 am and 3 – 4pm, Monday to Friday during school terms on:
- 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
There would be exemptions available for residents of the streets affected and for parents of children at the school who are Blue Badge holders. This map shows the extent of the main scheme.
In addition, Camden propose to:
- Add a cycle exemption to the northbound ‘no entry’ sign on Holford Road, at the junction with Cannon Place.
- Replace the existing firegate on the link between Hampstead Square and Cannon Place with Bollards to enable those on bikes to travel between Hampstead Square and Cannon Place.
- Plant trees and add four cycle stands on the existing widened pavement on Christchurch Hill, outside the school.
- Make Cannon Lane (between Squire’s Mount and East Heath Road) one way eastbound at all times, allowing cycling in both directions.
- Introduce a ban on motor vehicles (allowing cycles) on Cannon Lane between Well Road and Squire’s Mount.
- Make New End Square one way southbound, to reduce traffic entering New End Square from the south.
- Create 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, making the southern arm of the triangle two-way for all traffic. This would return a lot of space to pedestrians.
- Widening the pavements on Willow Road on both sides of the junction with Gayton Road (including outside the Well Walk Theatre), along Flask Walk, from Willow Road to Gardnor Road, and around the junction of Gardnor Road and Flask Walk.
These proposals would require 14 car parking spaces to be removed.
This is a fairly major scheme that should improve the environment for pedestrians as well as cyclists, in an area which hasn’t seen much done to restrict motor traffic so far. It is good to see the traffic restrictions cover an area larger than the immediate vicinity of the school, to stop neighbouring streets being used as drop-off points. And it builds on the previous New End scheme which didn’t go far enough to stop school-run traffic.
We think that the proposed cycle ‘permeability’ measures on Holford Road, Cannon Place and Cannon Lane are really good and worth supporting.
Consultation on Camden’s website
CCC’s response
CCC Response to Christchurch Hill Safe and Healthy Streets Consultation
Scheme Approved 17th October 2024
Some modifications recommended, including:
- Extend the scheme to include Squire’s Mount
- Keep New End Square two-way and add speed table
- Keep Cannon Lane two-way and not restrict the southern section to cycles only.
- Change the start time from 0815 to 0830. We had asked for it to start earlier.
https://camden.moderngov.co.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?Id=4446
