The Clear Zones aim is to use partnership working between Central London Authorities to reduce congestion, air and noise pollution and improve the urban realm. The Clear Zone Partnership (CZP) uses innovative technologies and sustainable transport measures to achieve this aim. The partners are the City of London, City of Westminster and Camden Council.
The Clear Zones initiative was originally set up by the DTI and Camden Council became one of nine Trailblazer authorities in 2001, which provided a forum for towns and cities to exchange ideas, with conferences, seminars and newsletters. Clear Zones is focussed at a local level and has aimed to make cities, like London more liveable, by: reducing the impact of road transport; managing air quality; promoting integrated transport; and urban renaissance and regeneration.
The Clear Zones partnership strongly supports the objectives of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy to: manage motor traffic; encourage modal shift to walking, cycling, public transport, and other more sustainable vehicles; reduce traffic pollution; and work in partnership. The Clear Zone strategy aims to help make London a destination of choice for the Olympics and one of the most walking friendly cities in the world by 2015.
Since 1999 the London Borough of Camden, the City of London and the City of Westminster have worked in partnership to deliver Clear Zone proposals within a specific area of central London. It covers an area south of Euston Road to the Strand in the three local authorities.
Clear Zone in Camden, London
Clear Zones are integrated in the Camden UDP Policy T1 - Sustainable transport. This policy includes:
The Council will grant planning permission for development that would encourage travel by walking, cycling and public transport. The Council will not grant planning permission that would be dependent on travel by private motor vehicles.
The Council will require applicants to provide a Transport Assessment in support of any development that significantly increases travel demand or would otherwise have a significant impact on travel or the transport system.
The Council will require applicants to provide a Travel Plan to manage travel arising from any development that significantly increases travel demand or would otherwise have a significant impact on travel or the transport system.
In the Clear Zone Region, the Council will only grant planning permission for development that significantly increases travel demand where it considers that appropriate measures to minimise the transport impact of development are incorporated.
The Clear Zone is used as a ‘testing ground’ to research, trial, monitor and set best practice for new transport technologies, innovations and measures, to be implemented on a local, or regional scale following successful studies:
Camden Council is the first local authority in the UK to trial D-NOx paving in Southampton Row WC1, which has been shown to successfully cut local air pollution levels in other European cities including Milan and Paris.
The Life Cycle Assessment of Vehicle Fuels and Technology is the first research of its kind in the UK to compare the environmental costs of the whole life cycle of different vehicles and fuel types available from cradle to grave. This study together with other ongoing research will be used to inform future transport policy in Camden and the UK.
NewRide promotes of on and off-street charging facilities and supports network for electric scooters, bikes and now cars.
We are piloting Camden’s first on-street charging bays for electric vehicles in the Clear Zone in 07/08. We hope to investigate and install further on-street charging points for electric vehicles between now and 2012.
We actively promote cycling in the Clear Zone. As part of this work we are undertaking a feasibility study into developing a cycle hire scheme within the Clear Zone areas of Westminster, The City and Camden. We are also developing an implementing a secure cycle station with shower and locker facilities for businesses within the Holborn/Chancery Lane area.
A number of locations have been identified where vehicular traffic is not necessarily inappropriate, but where its removal would offer enormous potential for additional benefits (such as the creation of a new London Square), or where opportunities exist for significant pedestrian, cycling, or public transport improvements.
The sustainable transport measures programme aims to improve the urban realm and reduce and remove inappropriate through-traffic to create traffic-free and low emission areas that promote walking, cycling, public transport and greener workplaces/servicing techniques. The Clear Zone aims to connect sustainable transport measures together to form walking, cycling or integrated sustainable transport corridors and so develop best practice.
Since the instigation of the Clear Zone Partnership in 1999, some of the successful projects include:
For the past four years Camden has celebrated Car Free Day by launching a series of Clear Zone pedestrian improvements. The Clear Zone Museum Street improvements were heralded across Europe as an example of best practice. Subsequently, the Car Free Day charter requires participants to enact a permanent measure, whether a physical construction or a new travel awareness programme, as part of the day’s celebrations.
Camden Council
Clear Zones
New Ride
UDP pdf, 1.3 Mb
UDP Transport Policy 5 pdf, 0.4 Mb
