King's Cross Earth Moving Project

Another wasted opportunity for the canal?

Camden council has just approved a planning application that will encourage avoidable use of HGVs for carrying soil away from the site of Gasholder Number 8.

This could rob the canal of much needed investment. It is technically feasible to use barges instead of trucks to transfer the waste materials, and this would be a wonderful opportunity for the directors of Argent to show their neighbours that they really do care for the canal's future.

The impact of this planning decision is potentially huge, yet the application has received very little publicity. There are probably some very good reasons for challenging the decision, because there have been several changes in local and national policies, as well as social priorities, since the original outline permission was first granted.

Even if there is legal permission to move everything by road, this does not make it right, and we should ask the developers how this ties in with their corporate social responsibilities. It might be too late to stop the first fleet of lorries from being scheduled, but we can still aim for a phased reduction of road usage. The officer's report reveals that the developer had considered using the canal but had dismissed it on feasibility grounds. This does not give confidence that an extensive feasibility study was carried out. How many boat operators were approached?

What do walkers, cyclists and residents think?

Are they looking forward to the extra volumes of traffic?

Or would they prefer to see a few more barges floating gracefully along the canal?

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