• THE experimental proposals to make the streets in the King Henry’s Road and Elsworthy Area quieter, safer and healthier fly in the face of local democracy and won’t work.

Camden’s consultation has been shambolic. They say they contacted 39 interested groups but a number of those groups say otherwise. The two largest schools in the area say they were not informed of the proposals and not happy about them.

Camden’s case for making our streets safer is not credible. Average speed in our street according to their own records was under 20mph per day and there has not been a pedestrian accident over a long period of time.

Daytime traffic movements, excluding bikes, average one per 25 to 30 seconds. This is not the rat-run they say means all traffic, including resident cars, should be denied through-access.

They want to close off the St Paul’s school area in school-run hours but the vast majority of its children are not driven to school. Teachers driving from further afield and the few parents who have to drive their children will be very inconvenienced.

Their case to make our streets healthier is perverse. The proposals will increase traffic congestion, pollution and journey times in Primrose Hill Road, Adelaide Road, Avenue Road and the Swiss Cottage gyratory system.

No way is this environmental sustainability. Adelaide Road and Chalcot estate rather than the leafy streets of Elsworthy and King Henry’s will be among the most badly affected.

A widened pavement will cause more backed up traffic in Primrose Hill Road. Schools, parks and playgrounds will be more polluted.

Some argue that drivers should walk, cycle or use public transport more. But the tubes and buses are too far away for our streets’ elderly, frail or disabled to readily make use of them.

Camden says the experiment could be adapted in the light of experience. But public money (it seems about £200k), will have been spent and they have yet to reveal how they would measure success or failure..

Camden has devised a giant sledgehammer to crack a non-existent nut. And they should reconsider.

A DAVIES
Elsworthy Road, NW3