Artist’s impression of how the Sports Direct development could look

• READERS of the New Journal may be interested to learn about the development of the Sports Direct store on the corner of Camden High Street and Delancey Street.

There is an application to demolish this site and completely rebuild it with provision of a new hotel, flats and retail space. There has been an exhibition in Arlington Conference Centre giving information about this proposal.

Residents and businesses welcome the provision of an attractive new hotel and retail space and the opportunity of regenerating this now run-down corner. So some of us went to the Arlington with a spring in our step.

Unfortunately this proposal does not make a positive contribution to this part of Camden Town. Far from it.

In fact, this proposal will not be, as described by the developers, “respecting the unique character of Camden”, but disrespecting this part of Camden Town and will actually be to its detriment.

And this proposal will not be, as described by the developers, “enhancing the high street” because it is over-sized, far too high, far too bulky, much too bland, too characterless, too featureless and will prove to be an unwelcome, oppressive, presence in the area.

It seems a tremendous pity that a unique opportunity to improve this dilapidated corner of Camden Town is going to be missed by replacing an old eyesore of a building with a new eyesore of a building with clearly no attempt to make a truly positive contribution to the unique character of Camden Town in general and Delancey Street in particular.

The developers have described this building as “exciting”. It may very well be “exciting” for the people who own it, or will be involved in developing this prime site and who will benefit from maximising the commercial potential from this proposal, but “exciting” will not be the feeling of residents or workers who will have to walk by it, look at it, work in it or be unfortunate enough to live near it.

We feel equally certain that “exciting” will not be the reaction of clients who may find themselves actually paying filthy lucre to stay in the soul-less Hotel California that is currently imagined.

This proposal cannot possibly be described as an “exemplar” building. It is a utterly generic building clad in horrible prefabricated brick slip-faced panels hung on to a frame, resulting in a façade that, far from being as described by the developers “referencing local materials – brick stucco”, is in reality entirely devoid of character, nuance, individuality or a redeeming feature, which would be more appropriately located in Broadgate, Canary Wharf, King’s Cross, Westfield or Chicago, and is merely a lazy replication of countless identical developments to be found across not only London but the country.

In the accompanying picture, the top of the proposed building is out of sight, which disguises its true height and therefore the “canyon” effect it would create on the tight and narrow corner of Delancey Street.

The proposal’s drawing of the widened pavement on the corner of Delancey Street and Camden High Street is reminiscent of one from the 1960s TV series Topsy Turvy Land, if anyone is old enough to remember that.

In reality this notorious corner, which has been the subject of countless discussions by residents and councillors, is already narrow, difficult, and dangerous to negotiate or cross by being very heavily used by buses, large construction vehicles, taxis, cars, motorbikes, cyclists and pedestrians; not to mention the added complexity that will arise if the proposed cycle lane goes in there as well.

Readers of the New Journal will perhaps sympathise with local people if we feel somewhat weary having to spend year after year having to defend our homes and streets from planning applications from predators that are permanently circling the area in search of the next feeding opportunity.

Readers may also empathise with local people having to endlessly gird up the limp loins of the listless council members who are often derelict in their duty by not properly fulfilling their remit and effectively defending the interests of local people by rejecting ill considered or cynical planning applications that are clearly in the sole interests of the developers and to the detriment of the fabric of Camden and the quality of the lives and experience of those who live, work and visit here.

So. There you have it. Glee we do not feel. We are devoid of rapture. The pep in our step is gone. We apologise for not being more positive, or excited about this proposal. We wish that we could be, we really do, but having studied this proposal, we’re afraid that we can’t. And we won’t.

RUSSELL GRANT
On behalf of the Delancey Street Residents’ Association
Delancey Street, NW1