Camden approves new public space and healthy streets for Phoenix Road
Camden has agreed to make a series of trial improvements to Phoenix Road permanent, helping to create a safer, healthy and greener Somers Town, as well as introducing further permanent changes following feedback.
As part of the compensation for the considerable loss of Camden’s open space caused by the construction of HS2, we secured funding for greening Phoenix Road, providing an exciting new open space in Somers Town and a greener link between Euston and St. Pancras stations.
Somers Town is an area of Camden that suffers from a lack of green spaces, wider climate risks and has low car ownership.
This project has delivered wide, attractive pavements adorned with an array of plants, reduced local traffic and pollution and enabled walking and cycling for residents and visitors alike.
Highlights of this wide-ranging scheme include:
- Creation of a traffic free green and open space on Phoenix Road that will have substantial planting, seating, open space for activities and events as well as play features.
- Substantial greening on side streets coming off Phoenix Road, with seating, creating a more pleasant and climate resilient public realm for the community, including local businesses.
- Pedestrian footway improvements including more accessible junctions where the pavement continues across the road.
- Traffic reduction benefits of the trial scheme would be secured permanently and further enhanced through an additional southbound only restriction at the Chalton Street/Phoenix Road junction.
Councillor Harrison continued:
“Since the start of the 18-month trial, we have gathered data and feedback from the community to help understand the impact of the trial and undertook a consultation in April this year that helped shape changes to be made to the trial scheme.
“This valuable feedback has also informed our decision for an additional 18-month trial southbound-only traffic restriction at the Chalton Street/Phoenix Road junction.”
Changes to be made to the trial scheme include:
- Creating zones within the new green and open space that direct more sociable activities towards the centre of the space, away from residents, with quieter areas towards the edges. The design of the new space also separates pedestrians from cyclists.
- Adding a loading bay at the junction of Werrington Street/Phoenix Road to support essential services such as the Euston Foodbank.
- Referencing the area’s unique heritage through railway inspired seating and extension of existing proposals for heritage posts.
- Adding in an additional trial southbound only traffic restriction at the Phoenix Road/Chalton Street junction to respond to concerns about continued through traffic on Chalton Street.
- Adding a disabled parking bay near the Chalton Street/Phoenix Road junction.
- Exploring adding more bins, lighting and potentially CCTV to address concerns about anti-social behaviour and litter in the area.
- Creating space for play.
You can read more information about this scheme online.