A petition to extend a second consultation on a low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN) in Dartmouth Park has been rejected.
Camden Council first proposed the scheme, which would close some streets in the area to through traffic while making others one-way, last year.
Other changes include cutting speed limits, and improving pavements, cycle lanes and bus priority lanes.
But opponents claim the scheme will merely displace rather than reduce traffic, leading to long-term congestion and pollution in surrounding areas.
The Highgate Society presented a petition to the council’s culture and environment scrutiny committee yesterday evening (November 11) calling for the second period of consultation for the scheme, which ended on August 18, to be extended.
The community group claims that the timing of the consultation, which spanned a six week period during the summer holidays, “limited participation”.
They added that many people do not believe their views were considered during this stage of the consultation, which was described as a “co-design phase”.
The petition received more than 2,000 signatures, around 600 of which had Camden addresses, council officers said.
Addressing councillors, Highgate Society chair Andrew Sulston said: “Camden’s process fell well short, making the co-design label misleading.
“We believe the failures of this phase should not be dismissed lightly.”
The group added it appears that the council “intentionally avoided scrutiny” of an LTN scheme that opponents believe is “poorly designed”.
Highgate Green councillor Lorna Russell said that further traffic modelling should be carried out before the next stage of consultation.
“This is a very complex scheme that is huge and far-reaching and will be a significant change for our area,” she explained.
“It’s therefore critical that we take the time to get this right and reflect on the data and evidence, as well as the views of residents and local groups.”
Council officers recommended that no further action be taken over the petition, despite these concerns.
Camden’s director of environment and sustainability Richard Bradbury said that there had already been 12 weeks of consultation on the scheme, including an engagement stage last September.
He added that a further consultation will take place before any final decision is made on the scheme, and that any traffic restrictions would be introduced on a trial basis.
“In summary, huge amounts of engagement has already taken place with public consultation to come,” he said.
“We are balancing the demands of the community, some of whom say we are going too fast and there’s not enough consultation, while others say – there’s too much talk, just get on with it.”
Councillors on the committee ultimately declined to take any further action on the Highgate Society’s petition.
Gospel Oak councillor Marcus Boyland said: “We need constructive dialogue and opposition that doesn’t oppose for opposition's sake or for political gain.
“Let’s not make it a political football, let’s make it a better scheme.”
The final round of consultation on the scheme is expected to open later this year.
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