Historic road in Hampstead being ‘torn up’ by traffic

Residents are concerned that Camden Council is not doing enough to preserve a leafy road in Hampstead’s conservation area that is being torn up by heavy trucks.

Church Row has one of the most complete rows of Georgian housing in London, but there have been many incidences of trucks tearing up the kerb and destroying trees and street furniture and residents fear the heavy volume of traffic may damage traditional vaulted cellars that run underneath the Grade II-listed houses.

Currently more than 200 HGV lorries use the idyllic road each day.

Two years ago a tree that was rotten because it was hit by a car fell into the road, in a near-fatal lucky miss with a pedestrian. There have also been reports of rainwater from drains that have been damaged by vehicles, leaking into the basements below.

David Milne, chairman of the Church Row Residents’ Association, made five proposals at the council’s culture and environment scrutiny watchdog committee on March 27, including providing better signs, installing a camera, and reducing the weight limit of vehicles to three tonnes.

The committee said it would consider his proposals but ruled out a weight limit reduction.

He told the committee: “In a summary I’m asking this meeting to support the residents in these five simple proposals which effectively would work because the revenue from this camera would pay for much than this.”

The committee said it would consider improving signs and updating the Transport for London website with accurate restriction information.

But it did not take on the suggestion to reduce weight restrictions, currently set at 7.5 tonnes.