Kings Cross Environment

The twin towers on the Pentonville road have had an odd history – first they were NatWest Bank offices, then converted to the periodically troubled Nido development – over 800 student rooms.  When they got planning permission for the student rooms, Nido also committed to build 48 flats for sale (on the 13th to 16th floors of the North Tower).  Now Nido are trying to dodge this commitment – they want to turn the flats, which haven’t been built yet into expensive hotel rooms sometimes called ‘serviced apartments’ (click here for an example). 

These ‘aparthotels’ are often let to wealthy businessmen in town for a few weeks at a time and are generally very lucrative – especially when you add them to an existing serviced building such as Nido.  Nido has argued that this sort of thing will be more in demand thanks to the St Pancras effect as the area moves upmarket.  This is nonsense – the real demand in the area is for new homes.  If this proposal goes through Kings Cross is denied 48 new homes, Nido gets to make loads of money. 

There is a loophole in planning law that encourages this behaviour.  The local planning committee has been fighting hard to stop this dodge where others have tried it. The whole thing stinks and makes a mockery of democratic local planning decisions – the Nido lawyer has had to argue carefully that this isn’t ‘a sham’.  The critical document is below. 

If you want to object consultation is open until 27th March.   The best thing to do is email the case officer Conor McDonagh (click here) quoting application number P073054 – state your name and address.  Make the point that the real demand in the area is for new homes, not ‘serviced apartments’.  Or you can find things on Islington’s website using the application number (click here) and object there.

Main Nido planning document (5MB)

As reported some time ago, a Sex Shop License has been requested for the premises at 8 Caledonian Road.  During the last several weeks we have been trying to arrange a meeting between some local residents, our Councillor Paul Convery and the applicant to learn more details of the proposal and to "point-out" local objections.  Trading Standards, who has encouraged such a meeting however, has been unable to arrange it – due to the applicant’s "lack of availability."

Now the formal Licensing Hearing will take place to decide on this application.  I know a number of letters objecting were sent during the Consultation Period which has now closed, so there is no action folks can take now – other then to attend the meeting.  It will take place on 12 March at 2:30PM at Islington Town Hall.

Both Councillor Convery and I will be attending, hopefully some other local faces can join us.

This shabby old site on the corner of York Way and Wharfdale Road (map) has been the subject of all sorts of weirdness over the years under the long term ownership of some land banking property developers with little interest in the community (links to some history here).

The council threw out the devleopers’ latest plans for development and now the developers are appealing. Basically the developers are desperate to win an appeal, as without planning permission the site is worth millions less and in all likelihood is an important part of collateral for a chain of debt.  They are so desperate that we suddenly see a consultative approach (details below) – some new plans as well as the appeal to cover both bases in case they lose.

Plans showing exactly what they are seeking to change have been requested, however to date nothing has been provided that can be re-distributed to local residents.  It will therefore be important to attend this meeting at the architects offices off Upper Street.   It is a bit odd  to have a consultation not at the site and without a plan being circulated, some might smell a rat.

It should be pointed out  that these proposed modifications could be positive – but we will not know until we see exactly is being proposed, so please try to make a point of attending this meeting.  Remember if they see limited attendance, they will surely use it as further justification with the Council to get their plan – for better or worse!

This consultation will take place on 27, 28 Feb from 5 to 8 PM at
Tim Foster Architects
1 Purley Place
London, N1 1QA
Tel: 020 7354 1315
Map here

Retail on the Cally Road constantly struggles to keep its head above water.  Now Tony Rees gets in touch to tell me that the post office at the bottom end of the Cally in the one way system faces the axe (see below).  Post Offices create a flow of people from which other shops benefit.  It is a terrible prospect for pensioners to have to cross three major arterial roads, with appalling crossings  to get to the Euston Road office.  The other Cally post office is some way up hill.  And of course the Council has taken away all the benches on which older people used to sit for a rest along the Cally Road.
Tony says:

‘We just learnt today that our local Post Office at 100 Caledonian Road is to close as part of measures to "modernise and reshape" the Post Office network. This will mean our nearest Post offices will be in Euston Road, the other side of the King’s Cross gyratory nightmare, or 320 Caledonian Road, a healthy brisk ten minute walk, just what we oldies (and young mums) need. There is to be a local consultation period  ending on the 2nd April. Comments can be sent to:

Anita Turner
Network Development Manager
Post Office Ltd
C/O National Consultation Team
FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM
Email: consultation@postoffice.co.uk
Customer helpline: 08457 223344