More than 1,000 people have signed a petition calling for more time for the community to have its say over traffic plans that will affect dozens of streets.

Camden Council and Islington Council are working together to create a 'healthy neighbourhood' in Dartmouth Park, closing some roads to through traffic and making some streets one way.

The aim is to make it safer and easier for people to walk, cycle and take the bus, with better pavements and cycle and bus priority lanes, as well as some lower speed limits.

But opponents - who claim the scheme will funnel traffic and pollution onto a few roads -  say the August 18 deadline for a 'co-design' consultation is in the middle of the school holidays when many are away from home.

The Dartmouth Park Healthy Neighbourhood Joint Action Group, which claims the support of residents' groups and many streets, wants the consultation to be extended.

The petition, which so far has 1,038 signatures, said: "Local residents, businesses and community are incensed by the timing of this 'co-design' phase.

"Details of this highly complex scheme were published by Camden and Islington Councils on July 8 and shockingly the deadline for comments is August 18, just six weeks during school holidays."

Locals fear traffic on Highgate West Hill will get worse if Camden pushes through 'dangerous' Dartmouth Park road closures (Image: Highgate West Hill Residents Association)Locals fear traffic on Highgate West Hill will get worse if Camden pushes through 'dangerous' Dartmouth Park road closures (Image: Highgate West Hill Residents Association)

The group wants to know what the cycle and walking routes will be, and where existing accident and speeding hot spots are.

They added: "There is no data on types of vehicles, routes they take, times of day, congestion points or any traffic projections.

"For a plan that concerns health, there is no mention of pollution or any pollution data."

They said the councils previously held three public meetings but two of these lasted only 30 minutes and full capacity was quickly reached.

The Highgate Society is is organising a drop in session tomorrow (Saturday, August 3) from 2.30pm to 5 pm at 10A South Grove where representatives will try to help with questions.

Camden Council said it would normally run consultation over four weeks but has already extended it to six weeks.  

A spokesperson, supported by Islington Council, said: "We planned the online engagement event and the two in-person engagement events before the full school holidays began and the engagement process started immediately after the general election pre-election publicity period.

"This co-design stage is not the final stage of the process with residents and there will be more opportunities for involvement via the public consultation process which would follow this co design stage."