Garden wall brings Hampstead to standstill

Residents are furious this week as the closure of East Heath Road for the demolition and rebuilding of a garden wall has helped bring the area to a standstill.

The works, which workmen have said could take up to three months, are just one of several taking place across Camden.

One local resident, who preferred to remain nameless, said it had taken her daughter’s school bus an hour to complete a journey that should take between five and 10 minutes.

And people have accused the council of a lack of forward planning, with many road works coinciding with children returning to school.

“I’ve lived in the area since 2000 and have never known anything like it,” said one resident.

“I’ve spoken to several people who have volunteered to take the wall down themselves!”

The road was reportedly closed with little prior warning, and Hampstead Town Cllr Stephen Ward said the current state of affairs is unacceptable.

“This is causing major inconvenience to not only the public but also it will affect emergency vehicles including ambulances serving The Royal Free Hospital,” he said.

“I arranged a meeting with Camden Council officers and the contractor and made it clear that the closure of East Heath Road for three months was unacceptable. The parties are due to meet again on Friday morning.”

In a statement, Camden Council said: “East Heath Road is temporarily closed in one direction to undertake the demolition and rebuilding of a large section of a wall that is structurally unsafe and potentially dangerous to the public.”

They added that they were “regularly reviewing,” the situation.