Campaigners fighting to preserve the character of a beloved Highgate shopping parade due for redevelopment have raised concerns about the lack of proposed parking spaces - after hailing new designs as “much improved”.

Prominent critics of the scheme to demolish and rebuild the one-storey parade in Swain’s Lane as a three-storey block of flats and shops praised architects for listening to residents’ concerns over the height, bulk and style of previous proposals at a public meeting at St Anne’s Church on Monday (May 19).

But several were critical of plans to manage congestion in the area as the development will only have five residential parking spaces for 12 flats.

Its two loadings bays for delivery trucks will be in Swain’s Lane itself.

Addressing the audience, John Slater, chairman of Swain’s Lane Residents Association, said: “We have considerable concerns over the traffic issue.

“The prospect of vehicles coming to unload and then not finding a space is really quite laughable, if you can see how Swain’s Lane is already blocked with traffic early in the morning.”

The project’s transport consultant Robert Roughan said: “This is a draft management plan that we have submitted to Camden Council but we can elaborate on the plan when we get tenants in the retail units.

“Tenants will liaise with each other to reduce the possibility that vehicles will arrive at the same time.”