How some of the new blocks built on the O2 Centre redevelopment site could look

• AT a meeting convened by West Hampstead Amenity and Transport, Camden’s chief planning officer explained the council could reject the O2 planning application if it is demonstrated that the harms arising outweigh the benefits.

Fortunately he doesn’t have to look far. The National Model Design Code advises building heights of three-four storeys and densities of 60-120 dwellings per hectare for an urban neighbourhood site such as the O2.

Landsec, by contrast, is proposing 18 towers of eight-11 storeys and 11 towers of 12-16 storeys to give 312 dwellings per hectare, some three to five times the recommended density and almost at “super density” levels.

Unsurprisingly, Landsec and architects AHMM do not agree that the site should be classified as an “urban neighbourhood”, but do not offer an alternative classification.

Camden’s Local Plan policy A2 requires a minimum open space green provision of 9 sq m per occupant, implying an open space requirement of 40,000 to 45,000 sq m (based on 2.5 occupants per flat).

The Landsec proposal envisages: public open space in the form of community gardens (3,000 sq m), Finchley Square (3,000 sq m), public green (3,800 sq m) and linear walkway (5,200 sq m), giving 15,500 sq m. This is just one-quarter of Camden’s own policy requirement – for an area officially green-space deprived.

Policy 2 of the Fortune Green and West Hampstead Neighbourhood Development Plan requires development which is human in scale, has regard to the scale and mass of surrounding buildings, streets and spaces, and is sensitive to the height of existing buildings in the vicinity and setting, including on adjacent conservation areas and views. Clearly the proposals breach this policy.

The O2 site is surrounded by 29 listed buildings and four conservation areas. Their settings will be blighted by the intrusion of tower blocks looming over them. This is contrary to National Planning Policy Framework, Planning Practice Guidance and Good Practice Advice by Historic England.

But the fear of residents is the council has little intention of rejecting the plan but is simply using it to negotiate how much harm, and thus how much CIL, community infrastructure levy, money it can gain to replenish Covid-depleted coffers; £43.5million has been mentioned.

The alternative is simple and democratic. It is to make Camden a model of planning co-creation by announcing, before the May elections, that it will grant CIL money to the Fortune Green and West Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum to produce an alternative that complies with the neighbourhood and local plans, and other relevant guidance, and one which would be put to a referendum.

NANCY MAYO
Secretary, Redington Frognal Association