Pedestrianisation of Camden High Street to be made permanent
In May 2025, Camden Council launched a trial pedestrianisation of part of Camden High Street to create a safer, healthier and more enjoyable space for everyone.
This summer we consulted on making the trial permanent, as well as seeking views on a potential expansion of the traffic-free area.
Camden Town is an important shopping and transport hub for local residents as well as being an internationally recognised destination that draws people in from across London, the rest of the UK, and the world.
Since May last year, we have been trialling a traffic-free section of Camden High Street, in response to feedback that the dominance of motor vehicles on this stretch of road was creating a negative experience for residents and visitors. Pedestrians overspilling from the pavement as well as poor air quality meant we needed to act, so we launched a pedestrianisation trial.
After 18 months, we asked this summer whether you wanted to see the pedestrianisation become permanent. Based on our consultation and the positive outcomes we have seen, we have made the decision to make it permanent."
In the most recent consultation, 57% of everyone who responded agreed with the proposal to make the pedestrianisation permanent, with 51% of those living in the Camden Town area agreeing.
Councillor Slater continued:
“You told us about further improvements that you would like to see in the Camden Town area including more reliable bus services, improved safety, cleanliness and decluttering the area.
“Some of you also felt that bus services have been impacted. Better bus journeys around Camden Town are very important to us – that's why we will be introducing a trial bus lane on Kentish Town Road with the aim of speeding up northbound bus journeys.
“Some respondents also told us they wanted to see more safety improvements on the High Street. We will also be introducing additional new community safety patrols as part of a £1 million investment in Community Safety Officer patrols around Camden’s town centres.
“In response to feedback about cleanliness, we will also be carrying out a deep clean of the high street in the coming weeks.
“We also heard that many of you are open to the idea of the pedestrianisation being extended over the Camden Lock bridge towards the junction with Chalk Farm Road. We will therefore be developing and testing a design for a potential extension over the next few months, and we will publish further information next spring to seek your views on it.”
The current trial pedestrianisation layout between the Britannia Junction and the junction with Jamestown Road and Hawley Crescent have now become permanent. The temporary barriers currently at each end of the pedestrianised area will be replaced with new permanent barriers early next year.
- During the trial, we received useful feedback, gathered important data, and tried out some exciting events and activities. What we found:
- Overall levels of people walking on Camden High Street remained stable, with more space providing a more comfortable experience.
- Spending in businesses has remained in line with pre-trial levels, both during the daytime and the evening peak period.
- We used the extra space to host six main cultural events that brought in an estimated total of 3,600 attendees and the contributions of 183 artists, showcasing Camden’s rich culture.
- Overall, the Camden High Street pedestrianised area and surrounding roads saw an average of 14.4% lower levels of harmful NO2 across all monitoring sites in the area for the year after the trial was implemented, compared to the previous year prior to implementation.
- Road safety improved in the Camden High Street area, with no collisions reported on Camden High Street in the nine months following the start of the trial (within the pedestrianised area and the northern section to Chalk Farm Road), compared to six collisions in the corresponding nine months the previous year before the start of the trial.
- There were lower recorded instances of antisocial behaviour, pickpocketing and other crimes and no evidence of crime displacing to other neighbouring areas.
- For more information visit: Keep in Touch with Latest News - Camden High Street - Commonplace
- The trial scheme formed part of our plans to establish a Low Emission Neighbourhood in Camden Town, backed by £5m of TfL Borough Safer Streets funding.
- More than 70% of people in a public consultation held in 2024 said they supported pedestrianisation and the proposal to trial a motor traffic-free section of Camden High Street. Over the course of the trial, we then carried out extensive engagement with the community to understand their views, including via a Commonplace survey and outreach with underrepresented groups around the borough.
- The trial saw the removal of motor vehicles on Camden High Street, from the junction with Parkway and Kentish Town Road, in front of Camden Town Underground station, up to the junction of Jamestown Road and Hawley Crescent. Buses towards Chalk Farm now travel along Kentish Town Road and then Hawley Crescent before continuing northward.