Retrofit proposal for West Kentish Town Estate

• THE disaster that is the proposed redevelopment of the West Kentish Town Estate continues with the appointment of architects.

Camden Council plans to shunt current residents into the poor corner of a massive development of private flats for sale, that none of their children can afford.

The selling off of a community asset can still be resisted. At some point we have to call a halt to the relentless privatisation of all we know, our spaces shrinking around us.

Social housing is a tremendous resource, not a burden. A fantastic alternative is available.

Camden’s proposal is a building project with nothing to recommend it. Councillors have committed to a major redevelopment costing £320million, while taking no one off the housing list, and risks putting us all in hock to the banks for generations.

Speculative building with our money in the time of a pandemic, when no one knows the value of anything, is madness; political ambition rather than love for the community.

The cost includes around £20million just to buy out the 50 or so leaseholders, families who are likely to be forced out of the area, only to knock them down. Where are the councillors calling this out?

The flats are in real need of repair. The alternative proposal for refurbishment, extra space and balconies, includes putting an extra storey of flats for sale on top, with some infill, that could fund the improvements the residents so badly need.

This could be a blueprint for a beautiful development that satisfies all the goals of Camden; refurbishment of their flats for the current residents while achieving other social goals.

Camden should not be involved in this murky business of private development for people nobody knows, with two-thirds of the flats for sale at prices no one can afford.

When Camden councillors come back to defend this social cleansing, saying the residents chose it, remind them that the only option on the ballot was for destruction and rebuilding, the developers’ dream.

Whatever name the developers give it, it will not be Squirrel Park, as the beautiful trees will be torn down.

And to the HS2 protesters, tie your bodies to West Kentish Town. Indeed it is hard to see the winners in this apart from builders.

The alternative redevelopment could be a monument to our time which demands ecological sound, good, design, with light and space, winning plaudits for the architects and council, a place to be proud of, to visit.

The leader of the council only last month said: “One of our big ambitions is retrofit”. Let’s start now.

The dominance of developers, who are killing the city, is coming to an end as we strive to restore the idea of neighbourhoods, neigh­bourhood friendliness and solidarity.

The community support in this pandemic shows people care for each other when given the chance.

It is up to the residents to forge their own future knowing that they will be supported by the people of Camden, forcing the council to reconsider the destruction for others and build an estate that people of Camden want.

We want it because it will make the residents happy. And God knows, we could do with a bit of happiness now.

PAUL O’BRIEN
Gaisford Street, NW5