How the new building in Kentish Town could look

A STRIKING green homes and shop block could be built in Kentish Town Road.

Plans lodged at the Town Hall show a shop and office complex would be demolished and replaced by a new six-storey block clad in a shimmering, green tiling.

It has been likened to something out of the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz by some neighbours.

Currently the ground floor is home to a British Heart Foundation charity shop while offices above have been empty since 2019 – although the rooms were recently squatted.

Under the plans, the current building will be demolished and a basement sunk. Upstairs, six new homes would be built.

Architect practice Iguana say the project will sit “harmoniously” in Kentish Town, and said the project was a vital lifeline to an underused building.

The architects added: “We find ourselves at a critical juncture. “The building, vacant since 2019 and occupied by squatters, has regrettably fallen below established standards. A comprehensive marketing study has illuminated the challenges we face in promoting the current office spaces.”

What the site looks like now

They said after looking at what demands there are for offices compared to homes, switching the site to housing would be a better use of space.

They said: “A change of use to residential holds immense promise.

“Not only would it breathe new life into the building, but it would also harmonize seamlessly with the current needs of the area.

“The demand for a well-designed variety of housing mix options in our community is on the rise, and converting this space into residential units could address this pressing need.”

But neighbours say the designs would lead to a loss of privacy, take sunlight away from homes in Raglan Street at the rear of the terrace, and that the project’s own engineering report into digging out a basement says it is “high risk”.

The rear of the proposed development

Neighbour Mark Murray told the Town Hall: “The demolition feasibility study states that excavation of a new basement is a high-risk procedure.

“It is not appropriate or acceptable to build a massive building overlooking my home and to dig a basement which the planners’ own feasibility study says is high risk right next to my home.”

His views were echoed by neighbour Samantha Ellis.

She said: “The plan includes balconies directly overlooking our homes – in my case, they will overlook two bedrooms as well as my garden and living room.

“The height will have a huge impact on our right to light. But most worrying is a basement dug directly next to our homes, which the plan’s own feasibility study says is high risk.”