Pharmacist Manny Patel is worried by the council changes

BUSINESSES in Queen’s Crescent fear the proposed removal of free parking from side streets near the market will “kill” trading.

Camden Council has launched a consultation on the CA-L controlled parking zone, which includes Queen’s Crescent and West Kentish Town.

At the moment, non-permit holders can park for a few hours in the CA-L inner zone for most of the day, apart from during a two-hour period.

One of the proposals in the consultation suggests three options that indicate a desire to clamp down on parking by increasing restrictions to between 10-24 hours a day.

While this is just a proposal at this stage, shops along the market said this could be another blow to business after a Low Traffic Neighbourhood was introduced.

Manny Patel, co-owner of Sandylight Pharmacy and Fine Pharmacy, told the New Journal: “Since they introduced this no car through the Crescent, our customers have dropped by 25 per cent. Now if these parking restrictions come in? That’s it. And this will further drive people away to other areas.

“We certainly would have to make some people redundant if the business isn’t there. We won’t need as many staff and we may have to think of reducing the number of hours that we’re open.”

Free parking spaces could be removed from roads close to Queen’s Crescent

Mr Patel is also concerned about his older and less mobile customers who come to the pharmacy for their Covid vaccinations as there aren’t any other nearby chemists offering this. He added there are already not enough disabled parking bays in the area.

Harvey Kaye, owner of Eye Care Lord opticians which has been in the Crescent for 59 years, said: “Because of the nature of our industry, we tend to have a lot of older customers. If they’re not driving, they’re getting cabs.”

He said that parking restrictions had had a negative effect on the business.

“We’ve noticed a drop in customers,” he added. “We’ve had to use our car more because sometimes we’ll collect and take home patients if they can’t get here.”

Jane and Harvey Kaye at Eye Care Lord

He said the introduction of the LTN and trader-only bays has prevented less able customers from parking and further restrictions would compound this. The bays, he says, are rarely used because you have to pay. On the consultation he added: “[The authorities] have made the decision before you can even go to consultation. I’ve been to enough committee meetings with Camden to know how it works.”

Former Mayor of Camden Jill Fraser, who lives nearby, said the proposals will impact people like her who rely on their children to pick up shopping for them from the Crescent and who have grandchildren that live far away and visit by car.

She said the council wanted the crescent gentrified “to make it like Bloomsbury and have cafés and people sitting outside. I love all that, but it’s not Queen’s Crescent. The people in Queen’s Crescent don’t do that.”

Labour councillor Adam Harrison

Camden’s environment chief Councillor Adam Harrison said: “We need to seize every opportunity we can to make Camden a more sustainable, carbon-neutral borough. So, the consultation asks not only about parking hours but also about what else people would like on their streets, such as new cycle hangars or electric vehicle charging. I therefore urge everyone – whether they regularly use a car or not – to complete the consultation or head to one of the drop-in sessions we are arranging.”

https://consultations.we arecamden.org/supporting-communities/ca-l/