It seems as though ‘pedestrianisation’ is the word on every Londoner’s lips at the moment, as it’s been revealed that – hot on the heels of Oxford Street – yet another of the city’s hip-and-happening high streets is getting the traffic-free treatment.
Back in May 2025, Camden Council closed a busy stretch of its high street to vehicular traffic in a bid to reduce air pollution and ease the outrageous overcrowding in the area. The pedestrianisation was initially launched as a trial run – but following a recent public consultation, it has just been confirmed that it’s officially here to stay.
Camden High Street sees hundreds of thousands of visitors pound its pavement each and every week. In an attempt to make it safer and more enjoyable for those visitors, the busiest stretch of the road will be permanently pedestrianised. The section that runs between the Camden Town tube station and the junction at Jamestown Road and Hawley Crescent (the last intersection before the bridge at Camden Lock market).
The recent public consultation saw around 700 people put their two cents in on how the trial went. Camden Council found that 57% of the respondents were on board with making the pedestrianisation permanent. The consultation also revealed that a lot of people are fairly keen on the idea of extending the traffic-free zone up to Camden Lock Bridge – and the council have confirmed that they will start drawing up some plans to make this a reality.
Camden Council have extensively monitored the results of the trial period. Findings confirmed that – on the whole – the air is cleaner, the street is safer, road safety has improved, and that footfall and spend on the street have remained stable. Some consultation respondents did, however, express concerns around the negative impact on local buses – so the council has confirmed that it will introduce a trial bus lane on Kentish Town Road to keep buses moving as smoothly as possible.
Councillor James Slater said: “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.
“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.
“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.”
