Queens Park Healthy Neighbourhood

Following the introduction of trial measures to restrict through traffic from streets off Kingswood Avenue (in October 2023 and April 2024), and in response to residents’ requests, the Council commissioned MP Smarter Travel (MPST) to work with the local community within the Queen’s Park area to establish the feasibility of a Healthy Neighbourhood scheme.

The aim of the ‘Healthy Neighbourhood’ scheme is to reduce rush hour through traffic and congestion in the area and promote sustainable journeys within the project area. This aims to ensure that the whole community can benefit from cleaner air and safer, quieter streets when walking and cycling. In particular, children would be safer walking and cycling to school.

The common approach for traffic management schemes is to consider manageable clusters of streets bounded by high streets or railway lines etc.

Impact monitoring would be conducted if the Council were to take any recommendation forward on a trial basis. This is one stage in a series of exercises to manage traffic across the borough.

Following this study, similar projects in adjacent areas will be considered as part of the Council’s future programme. 

Any scheme that is implemented will be complementary to wider schemes to be implemented in the area. These are all part of our wider ambition to reduce traffic and promote sustainable travel across the borough.

• Parking Restrictions, Salusbury Road – the Council plans to review the existing waiting and loading restrictions including parking with a view to permit parking during off peak hours only. A review consultation is planned to be carried out in 2025 / 26 financial year.
• Salusbury Road / Brondesbury Road / Harvist Road traffic light junction – following requests from residents and councillors the Council have has appointed a consultant recently to carry out feasibility study to improve the performance of the traffic signalled junction including tackling the queuing from the Harvist Road arm.
• Kensal Corridor Public Realm scheme, Chamberlayne Road – This project has improved the public realm, providing new wider pavements, tree planting, greening and a northbound segregated cycle lane on the approach to Kensal Rise station. As part of the Kensal Corridor Public Realm scheme, the Council aims to improve traffic flow on Chamberlayne Road by tackling pinch points and moving  from the carriageway to footway (inset parking).
• Chamberlayne Road / Mortimer Road / Harvist Road traffic light junction – Improvements at the junction which include widening the crossing points and installation of new traffic signal heads have now been completed.
• Kilburn Lane - The Council have been working with Westminster City Council on proposals to tackle congestion on Kilburn Lane. Public consultation on the first part of the proposals is expected to be carried out starting mid November 24.
• Chamberlayne Road (Wrentham Avenue to All Souls Avenue) – Following requests from ward Councillors and residents, and recent accident data the Council installed 20mph signs and new road markings and plans to carry out road safety, accident and congestion reduction study in early 2025.
• College Road area – The Council plans to carry out traffic reduction study in early 2025 /26 financial year.
• Oakhampton School Street - New school street scheme on Okehampton Road.

A camera-managed modal filter is a traffic management tool which restricts the passage of certain types of vehicles past a point, along a section of street or in a certain direction. They are indicated by traffic signs at the point of restriction and enforced using council-operated cameras.

Camera-managed modal filters do not require gates, planters or other obstructions to the road. The types of vehicles restricted and times of operation can be varied within nationally set rules, but on a locally decided basis.

Motor vehicle exemptions can be made to modal filters, for example blude badge holders and residents within the project area.

Emergency vehicles are always exempt.

Within this project, MPST have made no recommendations for motor vehicle exemptions and times of operations and these elements are open for suggestion and discussion as part of this phase of the project.

Legally we cannot exempt motor vehicles from no entry or mandatory turn restrictions. This includes blue badge holders.

A School Street is a term-time only, week-day only restriction of motorised traffic on a road by a school during the school's pick-up and drop-off period.

There is already a school street within the project area on Kempe Road. In this project, we are proposing a school street to the east side of Chevening Road.

The aim of this is to improve road safety and air quality for children at pick up and drop up times. Within this project MPST have not recommended specific times of operation for the school street and this is open for discussion in this phase of engagement.

We currently offer exemptions to modal filters and school streets for local residents including those with blue badges living within the school street zone.

We are currently bringing in a new process for applying for exemptions. This is through the app RinGo where you would register your number plate and blue badge details to allow move through the area.

View the Council’s school street exemptions.

If the Council were to take any recommendations from the engagement phase forward, this would be subject to a wider impact assessment and the outcome of a formal consultation with the community before implementation on a trial basis with impact monitoring.

Professor Rachel Aldred, University of Westminster, published a report in January 2023 which shows that similar schemes have substantial benefits inside their boundaries and contribute to wider traffic reduction goals.

View the Changes in motor traffic inside London’s LTNs and on boundary roads report.