• WE welcome Camden Council’s commitment to providing homeless accommodation on Chester Road, N19.

However the current scheme for an imposing larger, high-density building now requires a fundamental change to ensure protection from future pandemics.

Unfortunately the existing architects’ plans do not ensure that the conditions posed by Covid-19 and future new epidemics will allow residents to be able to live safely in a building which has adequate ventilation, space, and ensures social distancing.

The existing hostel, now due for demolition, was designed to house 25 residents and three members of staff.

The current planning application 2020/3461/P states that “the proposed development provides 50 units, which comprise 30 x studios, 16 x 1-beds, 2 x 2-beds and 2 x 1-bed wheelchair accessible units”.

The replacement scheme is too large for the site and neighbourhood. It will cram in far too many units and will result in serious overcrowding.

There will be a considerable loss of green space and trees. And the proposed frontage is massively out of scale. Demolition and rebuilding will release carbon, climate heating, and pollution.

Planning application 2020/3461/P needs a serious rethink. Social distancing and ventilation need to be part of the rethink.

Further, the architects have not allowed for the “new normal” whereby changing patterns of work / employment require people to work from home.

Finally ongoing research and daily updates from the government indicate that “Covid-19 will be with us for the foreseeable future”.

There needs to be a fundamental rethink by architects of all housing design to protect their residents in future pandemics. This must not be approved!

ABBY CRONIN
ELIZABETH GOODBURN
DR JULIAN LOB-LEVYT, NW5
ROBERT & SUZANNA DOLATA, N19