EIA

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Camden Council has submitted a planning application for the West Kentish Town estate redevelopment. The deadline for comments is 16.01.23, but you can still comment after this. The link to Camden’s web-page where you can make an objection is at end of this paragraph:

West Kentish Town Estate Land bounded by Queens Crescent, Grafton Road, Althone Street, Rhyl Street, Weedington Road, Coity Road, Warden Road, Bassett Street and Allcroft Road London NW5

Request for scoping opinion under Regulation 15 of the Town and Country Planning Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations 2017, for proposed development involving the redevelopment of the West Kentish Town Estate to provide up to approximately 898 dwellings (with a mix of affordable and market housing) and ancillary commercial uses in buildings ranging from 4 to 14 storeys in a variety of different housing typologies including flats and maisonettes alongside new routes, open space, play space, hard and soft landscaping and other associated works. Application number: 2022/5281/P Application type: Request for Scoping OpinionView Application

Alternatively you can email planning@camden.gov.uk, for the attention of Laura Dorbeck, the planning officer, referring to the planning application reference number.

PLANNING APPLICATION 2022/5281/P

The application seeks to exclude certain considerations from the Environmental Impact Assessment that is required to accompany the future planning application for the scheme. This is because these are “considered unlikely to result in significant effects on the environment”. We do not agree that the following should be ‘scoped out’:

• Geo-Environmental
  
• Water Resources, Drainage and Flood Risk
  
• Light Pollution
  
• Project Vulnerability
  
• Transport and Access
  
• Waste and Materials

How to object:

1. A general objection about the over-development, eg. too many flats, too large and tall buildings, lack of affordable homes, etc.
2. Specific objections about the proposed EIA itself, ie. object to the exclusion of the areas listed above from the EIA. Important areas are:

DRAINAGE AND FLOOD RISK

By building over the green space on the estate, there will be increased rain water running off into the drainage system. There is already localised surface water flooding east and west of the estate. The 19th century sewerage system may not be able to cope with increased surface water and foul water drainage, causing problems elsewhere. We do not trust Thames Water when they say there is low flood risk. This needs proper investigation.

LIGHT POLLUTION

There is a large public space at the centre of the scheme that Camden have confirmed will be highly lit to to prevent anti-social behaviour. The high level lighting will be a dramatic change to what is there at present, and will impact on surrounding streets and the new homes. This is not currently being considered by Camden.

PROJECT VULNERABILITY

The scheme relies on a high-risk financial gamble, dependent on maintaining high sales values for homes in our area. This route for funding is so precarious it is almost bound to fail in the current economic climate. Because the project is so long it is impossible to know what the future will hold. We do know that Camden is already under financial pressure, as shown by recent proposals to enter into a partnership with a private developer to build the 2nd phase of the Bacton Low-rise estate regeneration, and to sell off public assets such as the Holmes Road depot. The ill-thought through proposal could fail and leave people no better off in un-maintained council properties.

TRANSPORT AND ACCESS

TFL are concerned about increased numbers of residents which they say may have ‘significant impacts on the surrounding public transport networks which include, Kentish Town West overground and underground station, Gospel Oak overground
station and Chalk Farm underground station.’ They recommend that Camden seeks TfL strategic transport modelling and GLA pre-app advice, indicating that Camden have progressed without this so far.

Camden say that the development will be car-free. This has impacts on surrounding streets that have not been thought through:

• Increased number of deliveries by van. The impact of the increased number of delivery vehicles on surrounding streets needs to be assessed.  
• Increased on-street parking in the area as residents of the estate will no longer be able to park on the estate. 
• The needs of estate residents who need vehicles for their work and other reasons have not been properly considered.

Traffic and Access must be included in the Environmental Impact Assessment.