The London borough wants to stop vehicles passing through the thoroughfare, and is proposing to further extend the traffic-free zone
Camden Council is proposing a permanent ban on motor traffic through one of the borough’s main high streets in a bid to make the area “safer and more pleasant”. Following a trial pedestrianisation of Camden High Street in May 2025, the local authority is now consulting on plans to make the scheme permanent and potentially install new plants, benches and outdoor seating for businesses across the thoroughfare.
Cllr James Slater, Cabinet Member for Planning and a Sustainable Camden, said the trial had already made the area safer and more pleasant for pedestrians and reduced air pollution on the street.
“Many residents have told us that they want to go even further on pedestrianising Camden High Street, so we will also be seeking views on extending the area across Camden Lock bridge and up to the junction with Castlehaven Road,” he said.
The trial follows a 2024 public consultation in which over 70 per cent of respondents said they backed pedestrianisation and the proposal to trial a motor traffic-free section of Camden High Street.
Inside the immediate consultation zone, support for the plans was reduced but still decisive, with 62 per cent of people saying they agreed with the council’s trial. Several respondents feared that restricting cars and motor traffic access would simply displace vehicles on adjacent roads, creating bottlenecks and pushing traffic and pollution elsewhere. Others feared that the new public realm additions would attract more anti-social behaviour.
However, the council claims that the 18-month pedestrianisation trial has so far had little impact on visitor footfall to Camden High Street, which remains one of London’s busiest streets. The local authority has also reported a “clear improvement” in air quality and a fall in crime.
The scheme forms part of the local authority’s plans to establish a Low Emissions Neighbourhood Camden Town, financed by £5m in TfL grants as part of the Borough Safer Streets fund. Since 2024, the council has funnelled £22m in investment to promote walking, cycling, public transport and “healthier streets”.
Right now, the council is toying with creating a new pedestrianised zone on Jamestown Road and Hawley Crescent, between Arlington Road and Stucley Place to create a more flexible area for business spill-out, seating, tables and chairs licences.
The council says that should it make the trial permanent it will also consider residents’ views on the expanded traffic-free zone as it considers how the new area should look. The public will have another chance to comment on these designs in a future consultation next year.
The consultation was launched on Monday, July 13 and runs until Sunday, August 23, 2026. Residents can share their feedback on the plans on the council’s website.
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