Conservative leader Oliver Cooper

A CONSULTATION survey has opened on plans that will block off part of Primrose Hill to create a new “school street” in a bid to cut down traffic.

But there are fears that the scheme in Elsworthy Road will just shift traffic onto Adelaide Road.

The plans, which have cost nearly £200,000 of Transport for London and Camden Council cash, will see the junction with Elsworthy Rise near St Paul’s Primary School blocked off with permanent bollards and planters.

There would then be restrictions on that short stretch of Elsworthy Road accessed by Primrose Hill Road during school pick-up and drop-off times. The pavement on Primrose Hill Road would be extended outwards to restrict traffic further.

Camden says it wants to tackle high traffic levels, but have been warned they may just be displacing it elsewhere.

Leader of the Conservatives Cllr Oliver Cooper said: “The council created gridlock in Camden Town by forcing traffic onto fewer and more congested roads. That should be a warning, not a model, but it seems Camden hasn’t learned from its mistakes. You can’t just force all local residents and all through traffic into a single lane on a single road. It will be chaos.”

A Camden Council spokesman said: “The council is continuing to make necessary changes to streets across the borough in order to respond to the new set of road safety challenges presented by Covid-19 and make it easier for people to walk and cycle locally.”