In May 2023, community leaders and councillors from the Frognal and Hampstead wards gathered to discuss residents’ experiences of traffic / pollution.   A key issue identified was the virtual inevitability of schemes in one road or area displacing traffic onto other streets.  

The meeting supported the use of CIL funding to secure help from a transport design consultancy to build on the Hampstead Neighbourhood Plan and the community engagement work already done by recommending area-wide strategies that will benefit Hampstead’s community as a whole.

The brief was for the consultant to use their transport knowledge and experience of structured community-led engagement to develop a framework of guiding principles to help shape and prioritise future transport schemes within the Hampstead and Frognal area over the period 2024-2028.

This in turn will contribute towards the successful implementation of the Camden Transport Strategy.

Whilst it is not the project’s objective to define specific schemes, it may be necessary for the Framework to indicate candidate solutions, either to serve as examples or because they are integral to delivery of the framework as a whole.  If possible, the consultant will be asked to give an example showing how the framework could be applied to resolve a specific problem put forward by a community group (to be agreed with the consultant).

Whilst the brief addressed the problems of the Hampstead and Frognal wards it is not geographically constrained and the consultant will need to consider (and where necessary identify strategies to overcome) problems in neighbouring areas and systemic issues to the extent that they cause issues in Hampstead and Frognal.  This may particularly be relevant on the issue of the school run as numerous schools are located in the part of Belsize ward that borders Frognal.

HTP appointed PJA as a suitably qualified and experienced specialist consultant to undertake the following tasks:

A.       Understand the community’s objectives and priorities,

B.       Identify the barriers to achieving the community’s objectives and priorities

C.       Recommend a framework of strategies to overcome these barriers.  Show how they can best be designed and implemented

D.      Advise the community and Camden Council on implementation and write a short report on progress after a period of 3-5 years.

A. Identify the community’s objectives and priorities

1.       Review of the Hampstead Neighbourhood Plan (Section 6) and the 2021 Hampstead Transport Survey and HTP Workshop Results.

2.       Initial research to understand Hampstead, its problems and what has been done to date, including:

2.1.     A desktop review of the documents mentioned above (and those listed in Appendix 1 below)

2.2.     Tour of the East Heath Traffic Calming Scheme - with Guy Wingate (local resident) and if possible an interview with Roberto Martinelli (designer)

2.3.     Interview with Green School Runs representative – to explore school run and Hoppa Bus initiatives.

 3.       Engagement with key stakeholders (including local schools, community and residents’ associations, local businesses and traders) and the wider community to understand what has worked and what hasn't worked in the past as well as what traffic related initiatives, if any, are being considered.  

B. Identify the barriers to achieving the community’s objectives and priorities

4.       Establish why 50% of those responding to the online Hampstead Transport Survey felt it was "difficult" or "very difficult" to move around the area.

5.       Identify other barriers through interviews with key stakeholders and community engagement.

6.       Develop an evidence-based analysis of the root causes of Hampstead’s problems, including evidence on:

6.1.     Vehicle and pedestrian volumes and desire lines

6.2.     Private and public transport routes against desire lines

6.3.     School catchment data - where Hampstead's school-children live

6.4.     To what extent the problem is attributable to the rat run and school run respectively

6.5.     Degree to which large vehicles are a problem on residential roads

C. Investigate and Recommend strategies to overcome these barriers and how they can best be implemented

7.       Research possible solutions appropriate for Hampstead, which may include:

7.1.     Lessons from other cities/towns/neighbourhoods

7.2.     Further traffic modelling

7.3.     Engagement with TfL, Camden Council and other potential funders

8.       Undertake community and stakeholder engagement to explore and test emerging solutions.

9.       Recommendations should specifically address the following areas:

9.1.     Traffic volumes, including rat running, HGVs and school run.

9.2.     Local bus provision

9.3.     Frequency and ease of pedestrian crossing points

9.4.     Air quality

9.5.     Needs of older people and the less mobile (including places to sit and pavement widths)

D. Produce final “Streets for People” Report and Recommendations:

10.    Part 1 of the report should provide an evidence-based analysis of the objectives for Hampstead and Frognal over the period to 2039, covering the following areas:

10.1. Summary of Hampstead’s Problems

10.2. Lessons learned from past initiatives

10.3. Community’s vision and objectives

10.4. Barriers to achieving each objective

10.5. Candidate strategies to overcome these barriers, indicating those considered, and assessment of those most appropriate for the Hampstead and Frognal area.   This section should highlight both low-cost “quick wins” and longer-term strategies.

11.    Part 2 of the report should provide a Framework to support decision-making on travel-related investments affecting Hampstead and Frognal over the 2024-2039, covering the following areas: 

11.1. List of recommended strategies brought forward from Part 1

11.2. Design principles guiding the implementation of each strategy to ensure that any public realm and highways interventions build on Hampstead’s strengths and sense of place; and are aligned with the community’s vision   Among other things this section should deal with those types of interventions (for example crossing types, junction types, wayfinding designs, street furniture) that are considered most appropriate for the Hampstead & Frognal area.

11.3. A recommended “Project Bank” setting out recommended interventions that would do most to achieve the community’s vision by 2039, indicating both “quick wins” and more strategic projects.

11.4. An indicative “Test Case”, showing how implementation of the Framework could address a specific problem in an individual street based on a short description presented by the relevant residents’ association.   The purpose of the Test Case is to show how the Framework will provide an effective tool that will assist practical decision-making.

12.    A “Delivery Plan” giving an indicative timeline showing how the Framework might be implemented through a prioritised series of initiatives over the period 2024-2039.

13.    A short Monitoring and Evaluation Strategy, including a “progress tracker” to enable Camden Council and the local community to evaluate progress in implementing the Framework year-by-year.