Permanent road closure

Stopping up is the legal process used to close a section of road or footpath. This is required whether it is a small strip which would narrow part of the footway (pavement) to a whole road.

All public rights of way, whether open to vehicles, horse riders, cyclists or pedestrians are highways. A highway is land over which the public has a right of passage.  

Footpaths and bridleways are known as public paths. Local authorities and the Secretary of State for Transport have powers to create, divert or extinguish highways and public paths.

Please note that any land, even if privately owned, which is open and accessible for people to cross, is potentially a public right of way.

There are two main ways to stop up.

S247 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (most applications use this)

This allows for a closure to enable a development with planning permission to take place.
The process is as follows:

• Application validation
• Internal Consultation
• Internal Report to approve formal consultation
• Formal Consultation for 4 weeks
• If no objections / objections withdrawn order can be made
• If there are objections letter is written to the Mayor of London / GLA to see if a public inquiry is required
• If a public inquiry is required, the inspectors report is sent to Council and based on the report a final decision is made.
• If a public inquiry is not required the order can be made.

S116 of the Highways Act 1980

This allows for a closure where the road is unnecessary or a nearer or more commodious (convenient) alternative will be provided.

The process is as follows:

• Application validation
• Internal Consultation
• Internal Report to approve formal consultation
• Formal Notification / Consultation
• Hearing at Magistrates court
• Case put forward by Council
• Objections and other views heard by magistrates
• Order made by magistrates or not

Please note that the Council charge for this process if you would like to apply for a stopping up please e-mail StoppingUp@camden.gov.uk   and an officer will phone you to discuss your application.

Please note: the Council advise that if applying for planning permission which will require a stopping up, it should be made clear during the planning process.

Active road closures in the London Borough of Camden

Date	Location	Description	Notice (PDF)
1 February ‘24	Belgrove Street and  Crestfied Street adjacent  to Belgrove House	Draft Order: The Stopping Up of Highways (London Borough of Camden) (Number 1) Order 2024	Notice (PDF)
1 February ‘24	Pond Square (North West)	Made Order: Section 249 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 THE EXTINGUISHMENT OF VEHICULAR RIGHTS (LONDON BOROUGH OF CAMDEN) (NUMBER 1) ORDER 2023	Notice (PDF)
16 November 2023	St Pancras Way and Granary Street: Adjacent to 2 to 6 St Pancras Way	Made Order: The Stopping Up of Highways (London Borough of Camden) (Number 3) Order 2023	Notice (PDF)
9 November 2023	Pond Square (North West)	Draft Order: Section 249 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 THE EXTINGUISHMENT OF VEHICULAR RIGHTS (LONDON BOROUGH OF CAMDEN) (NUMBER 1) ORDER 2023	Notice (PDF)
9 August 2023	Highgate Road outside 19-37	The Stopping Up of Highways Number 1 Order 2023	Notice (PDF)
7 August 2023	Swinton Street and Gray’s Inn Road adjacent to Acorn House	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS (LONDON BOROUGH OF CAMDEN) (NUMBER 2) ORDER 2023 - Draft	Notice (PDF)
4 August 2023	ST PANCRAS WAY AND GRANARY STREET: ADJACENT TO 2-6 ST PANCRAS WAY	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS (LONDON BOROUGH OF CAMDEN) (NUMBER 3) ORDER 2023 - Draft	Notice (PDF)
27 October 2022	Cypress Place W1T 4AZ	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 3 ORDER 2022 (MADE ORDER)	Notice (PDF)
28 July 2022	Cypress Place W1T 4AZ	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 3 ORDER 2022	Notice (PDF)
28 July 2022	Tottenham Court Road, Bayley Street and Morwell Street: Part of footway surrounding 247 Tottenham Court Road ETCETERA	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 2 ORDER 2022	Notice (PDF)
28 July 2022	Queen's Grove: Part of footway at the side of 73-75 Avenue Road	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 1 ORDER 2022	Notice (PDF)
17 May 2022	Land on the footway outside 150 Holborn at the junction with Grays Inn Road	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 1 ORDER 2020 (MADE ORDER)	Notice (PDF)
21 October 2021	Bidborough street: part of footway at the rear of Camden town hall	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 1 ORDER 2021	Notice (PDF)
17 December 2020	Land on the forecourt outside 1 Hampshire Street	Stopping Up of Highways Number 2 2020 (MADE ORDER)	Notice (PDF)
14 October 2020	Land at the junction of Tottenham Court Road and Grafton Road	Stopping Up of Highways Number 3 2018	Notice (PDF)
23 September 2020	Forecourt outside 1 Hampshire Street	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 2 ORDER 2020	Notice (PDF)
30 July 2020	Land Outside 150 Holborn (Junction with Grays Inn Road)	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 1 ORDER 2020	Notice (PDF)
4 June 2020	Laxton Place and Longford Street Part	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 1 ORDER 2019	Notice (PDF)
12 March 2020	Footpath between Croftdown Road and Chester Road	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 2 ORDER 2019	Notice (PDF)
6 December 2018	Land Adjacent to 35 York Way	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 5 ORDER 2018	Notice (PDF)
17 May 2018	Chester Gate (Part)	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 3 ORDER 2018	Notice (PDF)
26 April 2018	Maitland Park Villas, Maitland Park Open Space, Grafton Terrace (Part)	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 2 ORDER 2018	Notice (PDF)
26 April 2018	Agar Grove (Part), Agar Grove Estate Road	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 1 ORDER 2018	Notice (PDF)
22 February 2018	Hampstead Green (Part) and Royal Free Access Road	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 1 ORDER 2018	Notice (PDF)
21 Sept 2017	Footpath between Chalton Street and Ossulston Street, Part of Ossulston Street	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 2 ORDER 2017	Notice (PDF)
29 Sept 2016	Euston Road (Part)	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 4 ORDER 2016	Notice (PDF)
29 Sept 2016	High Holborn, Museum Street (Part)	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 3 ORDER 2016	Notice (PDF)
29 Sept 2016	St Giles High Street (Under Centrepoint Bridge)	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 2 ORDER 2016	Notice (PDF)
3 June 2016	Denmark Place	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 1 ORDER 2016	Notice (PDF)
24 Dec 2015	Upper Park Road	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 3 ORDER 2015	Notice (PDF)
1 October 2015	New Oxford Street & St Giles High Street	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 2 ORDER 20	Notice (PDF)
13 August 2015	Haven Street	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 4 ORDER 2015	Notice (PDF)
21 May 2015	Torbay Street and Leybourne Road	THE STOPPING UP OF HIGHWAYS NUMBER 1 ORDER 2015	Notice (PDF)