Camden provides support for Queen’s Crescent businesses
Following work to start trialling changes on Queen’s Crescent in May, Camden council is now providing a range of support tailored to local businesses.
“We have heard consistently through years of engagement that residents and local businesses want to see improvements to Queen’s Crescent. The results from the recent consultation also showed us that residents want to trial changes on Queen’s Crescent, including extending the number of market days and making it easier and safer to walk and visit the high street.
“As the final improvements take shape, we will be directly engaging with local people and businesses on this scheme and understand how we can support them. We have appointed two community champions as an on-street presence for the local community to be able to share their comments.
“Both are now working closely with the local community helping to collect feedback from businesses, residents and market traders on the effect of the changes and informing the final design that the council will consult on. Alongside the physical changes on the street, we are also providing support for businesses to help them attract more customers walking and cycling to the Crescent.”
The council is now funding a project to provide free community bookable market stalls, and an associated programme of market enterprise and business support training. The aim of the project is to support local people to try out market trading, making our markets more inclusive and reflective of our communities, and supporting our existing traders and shop owners to develop their businesses.
“We are also providing Queen’s Crescent market traders and traders from other markets in Camden with the opportunity to trade, free of charge at this time, on new days now that the street is closed to motor traffic – a number have already taken up this offer and we would encourage more to apply.
“If anyone is interested in starting to trade or want to find out more information on market trading opportunities, they can email the markets team at: marketsteam@camden.gov.uk”
Councillor Danny Beales continued:
“We understand that for the past year and a half, many businesses across Camden have been suffering due to the unprecedented effects of the pandemic, periods of national lockdown and trading restrictions.
“Recognising this, and the additional changes taking place on Queen’s Crescent, we are providing grants of £2,000 available to fixed location businesses in Queen’s Crescent, and £1,000 for market traders. Queen’s Crescent eligible businesses and market traders have until the 31 August to apply for a grant, and we have already visited every business to offer support and guidance on the application process.”
All businesses can check their eligibility for financial assistance, find out more and apply online on the council’s website. If businesses need to get in touch or need more information, they can also email the council at businessgrants@camden.gov.uk
A full public consultation on the motor traffic free area trial will follow in six months after the start of the trial.
As the trial continues, the council will continue to collect feedback from residents, businesses and other stakeholders on the scheme, as well as closely monitoring data from Queen’s Crescent including pedestrian volumes and any impacts to local businesses.
For more information on market trading opportunities please email: marketsteam@camden.gov.uk
The council consulted in early 2021 on the current motor traffic free zone on Queen’s Crescent. A modified temporary scheme has been implemented based on the feedback received from the local community.
An overall majority of those who responded to the consultation indicated that they did not agree that Queen’s Crescent is currently a pleasant place to visit, shop and spend time. The council wants to make Queen’s Crescent a more pleasant place that serves the diverse local community and for people to want to come and spend time and shop here.
The scheme is trialling:
- A motor traffic free environment on Queen’s Crescent between Bassett Street and Weedington Road.
- A restriction on motor vehicle movements on Grafton Road, approximately 50 metres north of the junction with Queen’s Crescent.
- A restriction on motor vehicle movements on Weedington Road at its northern arm of Queen’s Crescent.
There are exemptions for loading for businesses within the zone at permitted times and parking and loading is still available on sections of Queen’s Crescent outside of this area. The measures on Weedington Road and Grafton Road will protect streets such as Vicars Road and Wellesley Road from through traffic seeking a route between Malden Road and Prince of Wales Road or Kentish Town Road.
Details of the scheme can be found at: www.camden.gov.uk/Safe-and-healthy-streets
Overall, 49.7% people agreed with plans for a motor traffic-free zone on Queen’s Crescent verses 43.5% of people who did not.
Camden has also recently secured new funding, in addition to the £1.1m already granted to deliver the permanent public realm improvements on Queen’s Crescent. The additional £813,000, obtained from the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund Accelerator, is part of £22.1m being made available by the government to enhance projects that are already under development.