• I WAS saddened to read in last week’s New Journal your report of the proposed replacement by housing of the light industrial park bounded by Royal College, Georgina and Pratt streets and St Pancras Way, Camden Town.

Over the past decade the political mantra in Camden has been, “we must have more homes”. That’s laudable on a national level but to what extent is it wise for our borough?

Camden already has a high population density (12,000 people per sq km or 14,000 per sq km excluding Hampstead Heath). Camden is an attractive place to live – demand for homes is essentially open-ended.

More homes put more pressure on schooling, utilities, public transport, social and health services, green space and so on. Removing affordable offices and warehouses from Camden fundamentally changes its character.

Creative enterprises are driven from the borough and there are fewer jobs in distribution for instance. Tradespeople no longer have local sources of materials so their costs increase.

This “hollowing out” process risks reducing Camden to a dormitory community. We need good housing for everyone in the Camden community with, for instance, sensible regulation of private rented properties.

To ensure social cohesion the country needs a royal commission on housing to objectively review and recommend the best way forward for this fundamental pillar of society.

TIM STOCKTON
Prince of Wales Road, NW5