Views from Hampstead & Highgate threatened
In the summer of 2021, Murphy’s Yard Owners officially submitted a proposal for its plans to build a new space. Their proposal included building at least 750 new homes and over 75,000 sqm of industrial residences and office towers.
Although their goals were to create more affordable homes and a better quality of life for Camden’s residents, the community’s voices were heard and the submission was withdrawn. Residents also made the point that the proposal did not provide enough affordable housing and the high tower blocks would have resulted in a poor quality of life. The Lissenden Gardens residents made a full submission - you can read it here. We congratulate them on their successful campaign, and a great graphic!
The plan to build up to 19 storey towers looming over Camden showed how Camden are out of touch with community feelings.
Residents also made the point that the proposal did not provide enough affordable housing and the high tower blocks would have resulted in a poor quality of life.
The current problem is that Camden still suggest that buildings of this height are appropriate in this location. The draft Local Plan site allocations document make this clear:
“The Camden Building Height Study has identified this site as a location where tall buildings may be an appropriate form of development, with 12m - 52 m considered the potentially appropriate height range. Additional height, above the potentially appropriate height range, may be possible in some locations on this site, subject to testing of impacts on strategic views in the London View Management Framework and relevant local views. The acceptability of particular tall building proposals, and their location within the site, will be assessed against Policy D2 on tall buildings and other relevant development plan policies.”
Have Camden not learnt anything from the massive heap of objections to the earlier unsuccessful outline planning application for the redevelopment of the Murphy’s site?
The recent consultation on the Local Plan still includes, in the site appraisal for this location, the totally inappropriate guideline on suitable building height included in the Camden Building Height Study. The idea that 52M high buildings should be sited here is madness. The negative impact on nearby Conservation Areas and Hampstead Heath would be disastrous. Can no one get a grip and remove this terrible advice in order to prevent avaricious developers from ruining this precious area? Your Conservative Councillors and activists have consistently objected to inappropriately high buildings in Camden and have submitted objections to this Local Plan.
With Murphy's Yard on one side of Hampstead and the O2 development to the other, Hampstead will be hemmed in and risks becoming another Inner London estate.
