TOWN Hall plans to clad historic brick-built estates with new insulation to beat fuel poverty and combat global warming have been slammed by conservationists and tenants.

Across the borough, Camden is responsible for a number of mid-20th-century housing estates, built by London County Council.

Because they have solid brick walls, they are seen as being hard to heat and the Town Hall is proposing to clad exteriors in an extra layer of insulation. 

But conservationists, architects and tenants say the council should tackle the problem by installing new boilers and offer double-glazed windows or interior insulation, instead of wrecking historic examples from the golden era of British public housing.

Mid-20th-century buildings in Kentish Town due to have the work installed include Oseney Crescent, Weedington Road and Ashdown crescent. In Camden Town, Plender Court in Plender Street has been earmarked as suitable for cladding, while in Kilburn the Mortimer estate, designed by celebrated designer Sir Robert Matthew, is also due to have cladding installed.

In a planning statement for the work at Mortimer estate, built in 1951, the Town Hall said the scheme would improve the buildings’ thermal efficiency, reduce bills, increase comfort and reduce the risk of poor health, help meet climate change targets and bring in funding from energy companies, freeing up Town Hall cash for other projects.

A spokesman for the 20th Century Society told the New Journal that the plans would wreck the look of some of the borough’s classic mid-20th-century estates and there were better ways to cut heat loss.

“They are proposing irrecoverable changes to the townscape using cladding that has not been tested,” the spokesman added. “These early mid-20th-century brick-built estates are really attractive from a period that is often overlooked.”

In letter a to the Town Hall, the Society called for the council to abandon plans for the Hillgrove estate in Swiss Cottage.  

They said: “These blocks were designed by Peacock, Hodges and Robertson. This practice is highly regarded and was responsible for several high-profile buildings in England. The buildings at the Hillgrove estate are characterised by a simple palette of materials. 

“As is typical of the architectural style from this period, the façades are deliberately carefully crafted and understated. The architects used features such as recessed balconies and walkways, as well as protruding balconies and windows to articulate and add interest to the design. 

“We consider that these architectural details contribute strongly to the coherent architectural style of the estate. In our experience, architecture from this period is frequently overlooked, and we would like to take this opportunity to highlight the high-quality design of these buildings. 

“We urge Camden Council to explore alternative options that will help address their energy reduction targets, without sacrificing the character and architectural interest of these historic buildings.”

Mortimer estate tenant Greg Radcliffe, whose family have lived on the estate for 35 years, said the project has not convinced those living there that it is the best way to help cut fuel costs.

He added: “This is a lovely-looking estate and the blocks are classic examples of the period. Thought was put into their design. If the council want to improve it for tenants, they should install new, efficient boilers instead.”

Housing chief Labour councillor Pat Callaghan said the project would slash heating bills and cut carbon emissions. She said that blocks that had already been cladded had been met with a positive response from tenants.

Cllr Callaghan added: “The council is committed to improving the energy efficiency of its housing stock, both to reduce its carbon emissions and to help residents manage their heating bills. The heat-efficient cladding will make a significant contribution to achieving these targets.”