Notting Hill Carnival Strategic Review - Intelligent Space

Figure (4): The Traffic Exclusion Zone at Carnival 2001 Figure (5): Sterile Areas at Carnival 2001
2.63 Barriers were used to manage and channel pedestrian flows as a crowd management tool. In
total, the MPS deployed barriers at approximately 60 locations. By and large, barriers were
deployed for three general purposes: to control access; to provide separations between the
Carnival processions and the spectators; and to channel crowd flows into or away from
particular areas.
2.64 Barriers for controlling access were often deployed across street junctions, either to maintain a
sterile area, or to stop or slow down crowd influx where necessary (referred to as ‘gate
barriers’). Examples of these were found at the end of sterile areas and in some side streets to
Chepstow Road.
2.65 Barriers were also used to provide separation between carnivalists and spectators on the
carnival route (‘route barriers’). Approximately 23 per cent of the length of the Carnival route
had route barriers to hold back the spectators and ensure that the Carnival procession was
able to make its way through the crowds. Route barriers were mainly positioned in the
southwest/southern section of the route as well as on a small section of Great Western Road
to form a queuing system to Westbourne Park underground station. The width of the
barriered areas varied generally from 6-10 metres, however in locations such as the judging
point and close to junctions the width increases, in the latter case to take into account the
turning circles of vehicles. The space that was taken up by the barriered sections of route
restricted the available width for spectators from 100 per cent down to only 40 per cent of the
available space. This had a significant impact on the level of crowding that is experienced.
2.66 A further use of barriers was in channelling flows into the area. In particular, Kensington Park
Road and Ladbroke Grove had staggered barrier deployments and police horses in use to
control the flow into the crowd.
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