Camden are consulting on changes to Argyle Square and St Chad’s Street. These roads are part of the Wellbeing Walk that forms a quieter and less polluted walking route parallel to the Euston Road and are also used as a quiet route for cycling to and from Kings Cross and St Pancras stations. Belgrove Street has a heavily used Santander cycle hire station.
The proposals include
- Closing St Chad’s Street (between Belgrove Street and Argyle Street) and Argyle Square (between Belgrove Street and Crestfield Street) to motor vehicles (vehicle access would be maintained to garages). This space would have seating, planting and play features for children.
- Adding outdoor space in St Chad’s Street outside the southern side of Belgrove House, which could be used as space for a café or events.
- Widening sections of the pavement on Argyle Street, Argyle Square, Belgrove Street, Crestfield Street and St Chad’s Street.
- Adding planting spaces across the area including on Argyle Street, Argyle Square, Belgrove Street, Crestfield Street and St Chad’s Street.
- Adding raised crossings to make it easier for people to cross the roads on the west, east and south sides of Argyle Square and Argyle Street.
- Adding parallel Zebra Crossings (where pedestrians and people cycling can cross together) to make it easier for people walking, wheeling and cycling to cross the road across:
- the north side of the junction of Belgrove Street, Argyle Square and St Chad’s Street
- the north side of the junction of Crestfield Street, Argyle Square and St Chad’s Street
- Keeping two way cycling routes across the area on one way streets (except for the top of Belgrove Street past the cycle hire station).
- Adding more cycle parking stands to Euston Road to increase cycling facilities locally
- Relocating some Santander bike stands from Belgrove Street to Crestfield Street to spread these bikes out and make them easier to access.
Cycle routes would not change from the current layout but motor vehicles would be banned from the north side of Argyle Square and St Chad’s Street, extending the current ban on St Chad’s Street between Argyle Square and Birkenhead Street.
Cyclists, particularly those picking up Santander cycles on Belgrove Street, are likely to want to exit onto the Euston Road so the lack of contraflow cycling in the section may be a problem.
Argyle Street, including the south side of Argyle Square, is a very useful signed cycle route between Grays Inn Road and the Kings Cross and St Pancras stations so any displacement of motor traffic onto this route would be negative for cyclists. However, due to the road configuration, this traffic is mostly local and there is no through route for motors.
Consultation on Camden’s website
Details, including plans and the consultation response form, is at
https://consultations.wearecamden.org/supporting-communities/argylesquare
CCC’s response
To be written