• I WOULD alert readers, particularly those who live in and around Cumberland Market, to Camden Council’s consultation on changes to paid-for, residents’ parking and the local road layout.

In short Camden are proposing the following:

— Closing Redhill Street to vehicles between 8am and 9:15am and 2:45pm and 4pm, Monday to Friday, during school term time.

Residents may apply for an exemption to drive in Redhill Street during these times and surveillance cameras will be installed to enforce the prohibition.

No reference is made as to the position regarding visitors and delivery vehicles or taxis etc to Redhill Street or how contractor’s vehicles will gain access to the Peabody Cumberland Market estate.

— Installing a barrier to close the road to motor vehicles at the junction of Redhill Street and Cumberland Market.

This will prevent residents in Redhill Street from accessing residents’ parking in nearby streets when there is none free in Redhill Street.

Instead residents will have to drive up Albany Street and down Park Village East (when it’s not closed due to HS2 work) or down Albany Street, along Robert Street, up Hampstead Road, left into Delancey Street, left at the lights and left down Park Village East!

In order to achieve a 2-metre wide “walking environment” around the Cumberland Market open space, 14 residents parking bays will be lost, on top of all the other bays that have also been “lost” to HS2.

Unfortunately there is no mention of an “exemption” from the ever-increasing cost of residents’ parking or why Camden Council thinks it reasonable to charge residents for a service while reducing its provision?

The consultation document claims that these changes are based on feedback from the local community. But no evidence is offered as to the volume of the feedback.

The document states that “traffic data” “indicates” that Redhill Street and Cumberland Market is being used as a cut-through between Albany Street and Robert Street.

Again, no evidence is produced and if drivers are “cutting through” it’s because of the numerous road closures and diversions due to HS2 work.

In my experience Redhill Street is remarkable free of through-traffic. Perhaps these errant drivers who have the cheek to “cut through” are not the real target.

The timing of the enforcement suggests that Camden really have the parents who drive their children to school in its sights.

If this is the case, then surely the council can use its existing powers to manage the situation rather than create a burden for the residents of Redhill Street, Cumberland Market and the Peabody estate.

You have until March 9 to make your views known at Camden.gov.uk/Cumberland. You can also make your views known to your councillors.

GERRY DERMODY, NW1