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Camden High Street will become permanently pedestrianised after an 18-month traffic-free trial.
In May 2025, Camden Council trialled pedestrianising part of Camden High Street to “create a safer, healthier and more enjoyable space”.
The changes trialled between the Britannia Junction and the junction with Jamestown Road and Hawley Crescent are now permanent following a consultation this summer, with 57 per cent of respondents agreeing with the proposal.
Councillor James Slater, cabinet member for planning, said: “Camden Town is an important shopping and transport hub for 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.”
Camden Council said spending in businesses has remained in line with pre-trial levels, with 14.4 per cent lower levels of harmful NO2 across all monitoring sites and no collisions reported on Camden High Street in the nine months following the start of the trial.
The temporary barriers currently at each end of the pedestrianised area will be replaced with new permanent barriers in early 2027.
A trial bus lane on Kentish Town Road aims to speed up northbound bus journeys to reduce the impact on bus services.
According to Slater, a “deep clean” of the high street will also take place in the coming weeks, with new community safety patrols as part of a £1 million investment in Community Safety Officer patrols around Camden’s town centres.
The move follows the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street on Monday.
Half of the 1.2-mile world-famous high street is now vehicle-free, diverting buses, taxis and bikes to nearby roads.
The traffic ban stretches from the world-famous Selfridges to Ikea, covering John Lewis and other high street favourites.
The area will be closed to traffic between 7am and midnight every day of the week.
Read more: Oxford Street has become fully pedestrianised – this is what will change