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The Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum has objected to many aspects of proposals by Camden to alter traffic flows and road restrictions in the Christ Church/Well Walk/Flask Walk areas.
The plans ‘will reduce rather than enhance safety, especially by creating new opportunities for rat-running through the area,’ the Forum said in a letter responding to Camden’s consultation.
Alex Nicoll, Forum chair, said they ‘undo schemes that drastically reduced traffic and rat-running — schemes that involved years of work by Camden officials, including painstaking and positive consultation with the community.’
The plans for a healthy school streets scheme in the Christ Church area are ‘unnecessary and, in some aspects, dangerous.’ They would force a sharp increase in street signage, contrary to the Hampstead Neighbourhood Plan.
Changes to the five-way junction at the top of Willow Road would create a downhill rat run straight through the important cultural hub that includes Burgh House, the new Well Walk Theatre and Livingstone Studio. The problem of speeding on Willow Road would be exacerbated.
The Forum supports widening the pavement on Willow Road, between Gayton Road and Flask Walk, so as to increase the junction’s safety for pedestrians, including people exiting the new theatre. In addition, the existing No Entry at the top of Willow Road, which stopped a previous rat run, should be retained and enforced with an ANPR camera.
The Forum’s submission said: ’The Hampstead Neighbourhood Plan seeks an area that is “safe and walkable, with good public transport and alternatives to use of cars.” The key word is ‘safe’. It is not acceptable for Camden to introduce measures in order to comply with blanket transport policies without paying attention to safety or to the particular character and dynamics of the streets affected.
We urge Camden to withdraw these plans and reconsider the area’s particular needs.’
View the Forum’s full letter here
View Camden’s proposed changes here