The Culture and Environment Scrutiny Committee meeting on 23 March 2026 was scheduled to primarily consider a call-in regarding the Fitzjohn's Avenue Area Safe and Healthy Streets scheme. The committee was also due to hear deputations from interested parties concerning this matter.

Call-in: Fitzjohn's Avenue Area Safe and Healthy Streets

The main item scheduled for discussion was the call-in of a decision made by the Cabinet Member for Planning and a Sustainable Camden on 26 February 2026. This decision related to the implementation of permanent Healthy Streets changes on Fitzjohn's Avenue and Heath Street, and the introduction of a trial Healthy School Street on College Crescent. The call-in, initiated by several councillors, cited four main reasons for concern: the loss of the southbound St Mary's bus stop, the design and safety of bus stop bypasses, the use of shared cycle and pedestrian pavements, and the narrowing of the pavement outside 88 Fitzjohn's Avenue. The report pack provided officers' responses to these grounds for the call-in and outlined the actions available to the committee, which included approving the original decision, recommending a different decision, referring the decision to the full Council, or deciding to examine the decision in more depth.

Deputations

The committee was scheduled to hear from two deputations regarding the call-in:

• Camden Cycling Campaign, represented by John Chamberlain, intended to speak in support of the original decision and to counter the reasons for the call-in. Their points focused on bus stop design, shared pavement sections, and pavement widths, advocating for the approval of the original decision while allowing for further design stage changes.
• Green School Runs, represented by Alessandra Giuliani, also intended to speak in support of the scheme, highlighting its benefits for safer streets, cleaner air, and improved school journeys. They acknowledged some technical concerns but expressed less concern about shared pedestrian-cycle crossings and the loss of a specific bus stop. Their request was to address concerns at the detailed design stage but proceed with the scheme immediately.

The report pack detailed the extensive consultation process undertaken for the Fitzjohn's Avenue Area Safe and Healthy Streets scheme, including feedback from residents, local stakeholders, ward councillors, and statutory consultees. It also included an Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) that considered the potential impacts of the proposals on various protected characteristics and other groups. The report outlined proposed changes to the designs following consultation, such as increasing footway width outside 88 Fitzjohn's Avenue and retaining both northbound bus stops on Fitzjohn's Avenue. Officers' responses to the call-in reasons provided detailed justifications for the proposed measures, often referencing national guidance and local policy objectives. The report also presented an officer recommendation to uphold the original decision.