In February 2016 the 'One Housing' group submitted a planning application to convert a light industrial site into a high-density housing development. This attracted fierce opposition from local residents and a wide range of canal users. The council swiftly refused this application in June 2016, citing 18 reasons, and this stretch of the canal remained an open space for another year.
In March 2017 the council received a revised application, which attempts to mollify some of the objectors, but there are no signs of convergence because the applicant has lodged an appeal against last year's decision. (Appeal Reference: APP/X5210/W/16/3165200)
Why the fuss?
- This is a prime site for road/water transfer, and it could serve as a gateway to the industrial heart of Camden, yet the proposals do not even acknowledge this asset.
- This is a popular open space that attracts wildlife and breaks the monotony of high-rise development
- The development will plunge the canal and its neighbours into the shade
- The scheme will deliver only a limited amount of allegedly affordable housing
- The dwellings are designed to exploit the benefits of the canal but the scheme delivers no benefits back to the canal apart from a repair to its wall and the possibility of a water tap for passing boats.
Where are the detailed plans?
Copies of the planning documents are available on the council's website (search for 2017/1230/P) or else you can find some of them here.
DESCRIPTION OF APPLICATION: "Demolition of all buildings on-site and new buildings of 1 - 6 storeys in height to include 40 residential (C3) units (16 x 1 bed, 15 x 2 bed and 9 x 3 bed) of which 34 would be market units and 6 affordable, 813mē (GEA) office floorspace (B1), 55mē (GEA) storage and distribution floorspace (B8) and associated works to highways and landscaping"
How can we object?
OPTION 1. Go to the Camden Council website, navigate to the Planning applications page, search on Application Number 2017/1230/P and click on the link that allows you to submit comments. See our illustrated guide for help.
OPTION 2. Send an e-mail to the case officer Jonathan.McClue@camden.gov.uk and to planning@camden.gov.uk. Your e-mail subject should be "Objection to Planning Application Number 2017/1230/P". This method is useful if you want to send headed notepaper or illustrations.
Whichever method you use, if you need help in expressing objections then please see our brief guidance notes or refer to some examples that are already in the public domain.
The official deadline for comments is 29th March.
Sample objections
Click here to see some objections from 2016.
...and click here to see some objections from 2017.
Who cares about freight or local industry?
Clearly the business leaders and planners of today are more interested in short-term solutions than in what they are leaving behind for future generations. They are allowing or encouraging HGVs to saturate our city streets while the purpose-built waterways remain idle.
Here are two London Assembly reports that warn us about the damage this is inflicting on London.
Can we reach a compromise?
The current plan, just like the previous one, is unacceptable and many of us will be urging the planning officer to refuse it before it even reaches the committee stage. But our role does not end there. We need to consider how the scheme can be altered further still to reach a compromise and the obvious starting point for an alternative design is a direct access route from the road to the canal. Without this feature the site will never be future-proof.