Kentish Town Bus Stop Nightmare: Narrow Pavement Sparks Safety Fears
Bus passengers in Kentish Town are facing a daily squeeze at a notorious bus stop, where hoardings have drastically narrowed the pavement, creating overcrowding and hazardous conditions. The stop on Kentish Town Road, serving routes 214, 88, and 134, has become a focal point of frustration for locals, with pedestrians struggling to pass and commuters getting splashed by puddle water from the road.
Residents Voice Their Concerns
Linda Lefevre, an 80-year-old resident from Dartmouth Park, described the scene as a nightmare. "I once stood at the bus stop with a dozen others. The water was splashing up from the road. People who were walking past didn’t have room to get past and hopped down to the road," she said. Lefevre emphasized the particular difficulty for vulnerable groups, adding, "For a mum coming along with a double buggy or a disabled person with a walking frame it would be just impossible." She noted that the hoardings have been up for three years, with empty space behind them, questioning the delay in development.
Development Delays and Future Plans
The hoardings are part of a long-stalled development at 369 Kentish Town Road, where planning permission was granted in 2019 for Folgate Estates to build 14 homes and a ground floor commercial space on the triangular site. The former car wash was demolished in 2022, but progress has been slow. According to a Folgate Estates spokesperson, works are now anticipated to start in April 2026, pending approval of the Construction Management Plan by Camden Council, with completion targeted for early 2028.
Once construction begins, the bus stop will need to close temporarily to allow access for heavy machinery, including cranes. Ward councillor James Slater acknowledged the challenges, stating, "It’s taken us two or three years to push the developers to start to build, but it does seem to be moving now. They will need to shut the bus stop eventually as a practicality, but we hope they can work as quickly as possible to get work on the pavement done so the bus stop can return as quickly as possible."
Broader Safety and Accessibility Issues
Elizabeth Monck, a resident from Swain’s Lane, highlighted the broader issues at the bus stop. "The bus stop is often extremely busy, sometimes the buses terminate there, meaning suddenly 20 people are waiting for a bus. There are old people with shopping and people tired from work," she said. Monck criticized the lack of amenities, noting, "It just is a very bad system not to have somewhere to sit down and be sheltered from the elements. The hoarding makes the path so narrow and it’s dangerous along that stretch of pavement."
A Transport for London spokesperson responded to the concerns, saying, "We’re determined to ensure that everyone can travel safely and are looking into the issues at this bus stop." This statement underscores the ongoing efforts to address the safety and accessibility problems faced by commuters and pedestrians in the area.
Looking Ahead
As the development moves forward, residents hope for a swift resolution to the pavement narrowing and overcrowding. The commitment from Folgate Estates to work closely with Camden Council and Transport for London to minimize disruption during construction offers some reassurance. However, with the bus stop expected to close during key phases of the build, the community braces for further inconvenience, emphasizing the need for efficient planning and communication to restore safe and accessible transport links in Kentish Town.
