The campaigners who defended the square in the 1970s

IT was at the centre of one of the biggest development rows Camden has ever seen – and now, 50 years on, battle lines are being drawn again over the future of a Euston neighbourhood.

Camden Council has recently revealed plans to demolish an office block and hotel in the Euston Road as part of the area’s ongoing redevelopment.

But an idea floated in the Euston Area Plan to demolish eye-catching, mirror-clad offices and replace them with a 75-metre-high tower faces serious opposition from tenants, who say it will destroy a much-loved council estate, block sunlight from communal gardens and go against the Town Hall’s climate policies.

The building, originally built for the Prudential insurance company, quickly became a landmark for its mirrored facade, reminiscent of oil baron JR Ewing’s office in the popular TV soap opera Dallas.

Completed in 1981 as part of the larger redevelopment of Tolmers Square, behind it lie a garden, pub, pre-development street buildings and homes.

The Euston Area Plan says it could have space for 115 new homes and be suitable for a “tall, slim building” for housing.

Campaigners say it would have a devastating impact on Tolmers Square – itself at the centre of a famous campaign in the 1970s, as neighbours fought the development that stands there today.

Throughout the 1970s, arguments raged over what the future of the site should be.

A community grew up in Tolmers Square and thrived in the semi-derelict buildings – with planners under pressure to acknowledge the needs of the people who had made their homes there.

As well as demolishing the 1980s block, a Victorian-built hotel on North Gower Street is also in the firing line for demolition.

Chris Roberts has lived in the Square for two decades and says tenants had heard nothing from the Town Hall about the proposals.

He said there had been a lack of consultation and transparency, adding: “To date Camden has made no effort to notify residents of these proposals. We found out about these plans from Climate Emergency Camden. It’s as if Camden wanted sneak these proposals out quietly, and through the consultation phase, without telling anyone, in order that as few objections as possible be raised.”

He said the current householders were drawing on the battling spirit of a campaign that made national headlines 50 years ago.

Tolmers Square as it looks today

He said: “In the 70s, Tolmers Square was a place made famous for community resistance to re-development. There was a massive campaign.

“50 years on, and the residents are once again standing firmly against proposals to demolish historic buildings and green-space and replace with high rise developments.

“To say we are shocked by these proposals, and the lack of consultation, is an understatement. These proposals are not in line with national or local planning policies or Camden’s climate action plan.

“We have had very little time to organise opposition – and there is plenty. They are talking about demolishing a building that is 45 years old and is not at the end of its natural life. It was one of the first of its kind to be built and must be repurposed, not demolished.

“They want to knock it down and replace it with something much bigger. That will have a massive impact on Tolmers Square – it will lead to a massive loss of daylight and privacy, and loss of amenity.

“Tolmers Square is a delightful, picturesque and quiet green space in Euston. You would not believe that you are actually in central London. We are not going down without a fight, and intend to campaign far and wide for as many objections as possible.”

A Camden Council spokesperson said there were currently no plans lodged to develop the sites, adding: “Only the owners of the sites would be able to make such proposals. Rather, what the update to the Euston Area Plan is seeking to do is guide what might be built here if plans come forward in the future. For example, this could include a step-free entrance to Euston Square station and the provision of new homes which could help tackle the housing crisis. The consultation is about hearing from the community what they would like to see here if the sites are redeveloped.

“The current public consultation is open until 3 March and provides an opportunity to comment on whether the plan meets key requirements set out by the planning system. Further guidance and information can be found online at www.eustonareaplan.info”