At a planning committee last night (29 January) Camden Council voted unanimously in favour of the proposal for a residential neighbourhood spanning two brownfield sites. Half of the new homes will be offered at ‘affordable’ rates.
The scheme will transform two plots at 120-136 Camley Street (Site A, designed by FCBS) and a nearby site at 3-30 Cedar Way (Site B, designed by Morris+Company) to create a neighbourhood with new homes, commercial workplaces, a technology hub, pedestrian and cycle routes and public green spaces.
FCBS won the competition to masterplan the Camley Street regeneration project in 2020, originally partnering with Architecture 00 and Studio Woodroffe Papa. At the time, the scheme had an estimated budget of £136 million.
Rival teams competing for the job included Arup with Alison Brooks Architects; Haworth Tompkins with Feilden Fowles, NÃall McLaughlin Architects and Metropolitan Workshop; Maccreanor Lavington; and Sheppard Robson with dRMM.
The scheme has since been through a five-year consultation with the local community, during which time the proposed number of homes has increased from 350 to 401.
This resulted in the creation of the Camley Street Steering Group, formed from residents, local businesses and councillors, which was ‘instrumental in selecting the lead architect’ and will continue to be consulted as the development moves beyond planning, according to the council.
Late last year, project backers Ballymore and Lateral, who are working in partnership with landowner Camden Council, brought in Morris+Company to develop detailed designs for one of the plots.
Camden Council plans to offer half of the 401 new homes at ‘genuinely affordable’ levels. These will range from one to four-bedroom flats, which it says are ‘desperately needed in the borough’.
FCBS will deliver the 119 affordable homes, while Morris+Company is behind two buildings providing units for private and intermediate rent, plus a separate technology hub hosting life science and manufacturing workspaces.
Official comments on the application from residents were limited. A planning officer’s report cited just nine representations made, six of which objected to the impact of the scheme on local services and transport infrastructure.
The sites sit between the new neighbourhood at King’s Cross and the council’s flagship development at Agar Grove.
A new ‘green’ pedestrian route will link Camden Town to the West End via the site and buildings will feature rooftop gardens and terraces to promote biodiversity.
Camden Council partnered with Ballymore and Lateral following a 2023 call for £500 million of investment in the scheme.
Camley site building location plan
Camden cabinet member for new homes and community investment Nasrine Djemai said that the scheme is expected to provide more than 1000 new jobs and training opportunities, feeding into the life science, technology and digital industries which are ‘booming’ in Camden.
Djemai continued: ‘Following almost five years of engagement with local communities and businesses to create a shared vision for Camley Street, we’re delighted to get the go-ahead for a scheme that delivers on many of the asks of the Neighbourhood Forum and aligns with the aspirations and needs of local people.’
FCBS partner Chris Allen described the scheme as a ‘socially and environmentally resilient neighbourhood’ with homes that ‘truly work for families’ and emphasised the creation of an enhanced public realm in Camley Street containing new tree planting and outdoor communal spaces.
Morris+Company founder Joe Morris said his practice’s contribution was ‘driven by a strong belief in the transformative power of carefully curated architecture’.
He added: ‘As a practice, our architecture is engrained with a sense of responsibility to local and global needs.
‘Our work at Camley Street represents this thinking, embedding efficient construction techniques from the outset, and ensuring low-waste outputs that achieve high environmental performance.’
Work to ready the site for development is expected to begin shortly.
Project Data:
Client Camden Council CIP/Ballymore/Lateral
Architect Feilden Cleggg Bradley Studios (masterplan and site A), Morris+Company (site B)
Landscape architect Spacehub
Planning consultant Turley
Street life strategy RCKa
Energy and sustainability Hoare Lea
Structural engineer Walsh Assocaites
MEP Couch Perry & Wilkes
Cost consultant Aecom (site A), Gardiner & Theobald (site B)
Stakeholder engagement Make Good
Fire engineer Ashton Fire
Transport Consultant Velocity
Life science architect Fairhurst
Daylight and sunlight DPR
Social impact Hatch
Heritage and townscape Montagu Evans
Access consultant Peter Connell
Wind engineer RWDI
Environmental statement Temple
Construction logistics A Consulting