It's a little beyond our patch, but West Euston Partnership's healthy living centre, the HPod, is available for hire by organisations or companies putting on health or community related events or holding meetings. It's on Cumberland Market near Euston Square/Warren Street tubes… Here's a virtual walkabout:
Local charity, King's Cross Commnunity Projects submitted it's response to Network Rail's pre-planning application consultation today saying the design is "drab" and "unimaginative". KCCP has called on Network Rail to scrap the current design and undertake a fast participative process with the local community to produce a better result.
In particular KCCP is unhappy with the lack of green space, lack of a sense of identity, need for public art, provision for cyclists, lack of a water feature and harsh paving. The group is however happy that the barriers and sheep pens are to be removed from the west end of the space as they have at the eastern end.
The full KCCP response to Network Rail can be downloaded as a pdf here
MEssage in from Police Inspector Stuart Simpson:
'Over the weekend and into Monday morning there were a small number of incidents that occurred in Islington which were an overspill from Haringey by opportunistic criminal elements who chose to cause disorder and steal.
'We recognise that these incidents will have an impact on the local community but we would like to reassure all our communities that our local Safer Neighbourhood teams are out patrolling as usual on the wards.
'Our response teams will be also out patrolling and responding to calls from the community.We will have additional patrols on across the borough to provide reassurance and to prevent any further opportunistic criminality.
'We have an excellent community relationship with our partners including Islington Council and we are working together to continue to make Islington a safe place to live and work.
'We are appealing to all members of the community to call police on 101, if they notice anything untoward or suspicious. If it is an emergency, please dial 999.
The tannoy from King's Cross station seems to have escaped beyond the platforms in recent days according to local resident Chris. Has anyone else noticed platform announcements outside the station? Let us know in the comments and i'll see if Network Rail can fix it. Chris says:
'It's difficult to pinpoint where it's coming from. I'm on Battlebridge Basin, on the other side of King's Place (New Wharf Rd), and for the last week the sound of tannoys has been emanating very loudly from KX station, but I don't know the difference between the platforms.
'Normally, you can't hear the tannoys at all, but the volume has changed during the day – it doesn't seem to be at night. I wondered if they were testing a new system, or if a wall had been removed. I work at home and will try to work out exactly where it's coming from.'
Councillor Paul Convery has written about the Cally Road over on his blog.
'On the Cally, local councillors have been visiting businesses after shopkeepers closed-up early yesterday evening on fears of further trouble. Cllr Paul Convery said “I’m glad there has been no repeat of Sunday’s minor disturbance when one shop on the Cally was raided by youths and alcohol stolen. Shopkeepers are naturally worried but we all need to remain calm. The Council is doing business as normal, waste collections, street sweeping and all other public services are operating as usual.”
'On Sunday night, there had been minor attacks on shops in the Caledonian Road and Holloway Road and reports of aggressive behaviour by gangs of teenagers around the Angel.
'Overnight the police have reassured residents and shopkeepers that Safer Neighbourhood teams are out patrolling as usual and rapid response teams will be also out patrolling and responding to calls from the public. Police reinforcements have been brought-in from outside London so that local police teams are not drawn away from their home patch if further major incidents occur.'
One of the later opening bars in King’s Cross, the Big Chill House has kicked off its fifth birthday celebrations with the introduction of breakfast.
Last week I went to test drive how a nightclub does breakfast. I should add that it was on the house, but the following is written freely.
The Big Chill has also had a makeover inside and out. Walking through the red velvet-curtained entrance, fortunately retained, I find it’s out with the festival namesake plastic grass, chandeliers and stuffed animals and in with ‘old school’ (literally). Vintage plywood desks and chairs and a rainbow of anglepoise lamps are set against dark shades of blue and green and contrasting doodlings on the walls. I make a beeline for the desk that runs along the big light-filled windows. Sit up straight.
The 3-storey club appears to want a piece of the King’s Cross weekday breakfast meeting action (8am), which nearby 6 St Chad’s Place has been doing for some years. However unlike St Chad’s, it also does weekends (from 11am) — an appealing prospect for this late-rising local.
The menu’s pleasingly comprehensive, and neither greasy spoon nor gastro. Bottomless filter coffee with some of the cooked breakfasts (of which there are six to choose) says ‘diner’.
At the bar I order a vegetarian full English for myself and the same for my companion, one scrambled, one poached. Although it’s what I would have anyway, the quality of the scrambled eggs and veggie options are a good test of a kitchen’s mettle. The scramble is nice and rich, aided by lashings of butter, but that’s no bad thing. A colourfully presented plate with roasted tomatoes, bright orange cheesy baked beans, mushrooms, grilled mixed peppers and toasted muffins. Maybe I’m just a carb fiend — but the otherwise good spread screams out for some hash browns or maybe a bit of that delicious-sounding rösti elsewhere on the menu, especially at £7.50.
If you want something lighter, there’s all the continental bits and bobs; a la toast or cereal. But oh the pastries, hope they can find a decent supplier soon, easier said than done. The waiter admits the croissants are from Tesco. Explains why I found mine inedible, therefore better left off the menu for now. However full marks for a cappuccino that ticked all the Fairtrade and organic boxes and was well-enough made — good value for £1.60.
If, like me, watching transport and people is your thing, the window seating gives you unparalleled views of buses hurtling down Pentonville Road and the occasional sidewalk fruit: a girl walks past like a minor Lady Gaga, decked out in purple and white (including her hair) and thigh-high platforms.
Add some wifi and a nice pile of fat, still unwrapped weekend newspapers, and King’s Cross may well have gained another great breakfast bolthole.
Clare Hill
We've covered a few issues around licensed premises in Kings Cross in recent weeks. I raised this with Cllr Paul Convery who has helpfully pointed me to the new licensing policy for Kings Cross, recognising the increase in applications. The extract from the policy document is below. If readers wish to object to the applications they they should at least insist that licensees, if granted follow the conditions in 77 below (from page 51 of the document).
KING’S CROSS
71. King’s Cross has undergone some radical changes in recent years. For example the new Regent Quarter development, has seen the refurbishment of the old Georgian and Victorian buildings opposite King’s Cross Station, combined with new modern buildings, to create a mixed use development of residential and commercial units. Further north, along York Way, is the newly built King’s Place, a several story building housing exhibition space, dining facilities, performance space, offices and conference facilities.
72. King’s Cross is continuing to undergo one of the largest and most complex programmes of planning and development led regeneration in Europe. There are a number of major projects currently underway, or at the planning stages. By 2020, an estimated 60 million passengers a year will pass through the King's Cross transport interchange, almost the same current passenger numbers as at Heathrow airport. There are two areas in the King’s Cross Central development, called the Main site and the Triangle site: the main site, which is in the London Borough of Camden, and the Triangle site, which falls in both Camden and Islington boroughs.
73. These recent, as well as the proposed developments in the area, have already led to an increase in the numbers of licence applications. In the two years proceeding July 2008 there were 15 applications for new premises licences in Caledonian Ward. It is anticipated that this trend will increase.
74. The Licensing Authority has already seen an increase in representations lodged by local residents and Ward Councillors citing problems with cumulative impact issues such as noise disturbance, drunken fights and crime due to intoxicated persons in the area.
75. Furthermore, the area is regularly used by football fans on route to or from the Emirates Stadium. While it is recognised that the overwhelming majority of fans are well behaved, a small minority are associated with problems of public nuisance and crime and disorder. The Licensing Authority has received complaints concerning antisocial behaviour such as littering, noise nuisance, fighting, vandalism and obstruction of the public highway arising from football fans visiting the licensed premises in the area.
76. The Council adopted a Designated Public Place Order, or controlled drinking zone, for the King’s Cross area of Islington, in June 2010. The order gives the Police powers to confiscate alcohol from people drinking in public. It is not an offence to consume alcohol within the designated area, however failure to cease drinking and or surrender alcohol on request by a police officer is.
77. As with the Angel, in order to reduce the potential negative impacts of increasing development on the licensing objectives, applicants must demonstrate detailed consideration of the need to promote the licensing objectives in their operating schedules. Where appropriate, operating schedules should show evidence of the consideration of:
steps to prevent crime and disorder emanating from the premises and escalating in the area;
steps applicants intend to take to educate their customers and prevent public nuisance arising from illegally dumped waste and litter, and prevent the use of alleyways, street corners, and open pavements in the vicinity of their premises as urinals;
how applicants intend, through the provision of licensed door staff, to assist in the control of illegal minicab touting which is associated with the serious crimes of abduction, rape and other sexual assaults and is becoming an issue of growing concern for the police;
applicants' intention to be active members of the pub watch, or shop watch schemes operating in this area;
a regard for the nature of the area and provision of premises that will be welcomed by the wider community;
where premises are used for the reception of football fans, the steps the applicant intends to take to minimise the potential negative impacts caused by the congregation of large groups of people, such as litter, noise nuisance and obstruction of the highway.;
the applicant’s intention to adopt the Licensees’ Charter.
There's a bizarre application in for dancing, music, films, food, drink service until 0400 at this tiny soon to be fast food joint. It seems to be a classic case of tick all the boxes and see what you get, with no thought for the local community.
The site used to be Tony's Hemp Corner. I hope what appear to be facade alterations comply with the local heritage scheme.
The fast food chicken shop next door has a licence for food service until 0200, and trades responsibly as far as I can tell.
Albert Beale has raised this with me. He says:
'What's proposed for No 10 seems to me to be more what you'd expect in Soho,
or – at most – on the main road immediately by the station.'
My general view (I own a flat about 100 metres away) is there there should be no trading past 0200 on the bottom of the Cally. This premisis appears unsuitable for anything other than basic food service. You have to question the common sense of someone applying for a licence to show films, have dancing, amplified and live music and serve alcohol in this tiny space. I have now been able to assemble the documents and get the details of the applicant. The application (which may have been amended slightly,but the applicant hasn't told me how) is to
permit the premises to sell alcohol, both on and off sales from Monday to Sunday 08:00 – 05:00
allow the provision of films, Monday to Sunday, 00:00 – 24:00
allow the provision of live music, from Monday to Sunday, 08:00 – 03:00
allow the provision of recorded music, from Monday to Sunday 00:00 – 24:00
allow the provision of performances of dance, from Monday to Sunday 08:00 – 04:00
allow the provision of anything of a similar description to live music, recorded music, or performance of dance, Monday to Sunday 00:00 – 24:00
allow the provision of facilities for dancing, from Monday to Sunday 08:00 – 04:00
allow the provision of facilities for entertainment of a similar description to those provided for making music of dancing, Monday to Sunday 08:00 – 04:00
allow the provision of late night refreshment, 23:00 – 05:00
The Burrito Cafe applicant Richard Walker says:
'My phone number is 07779 613 698.
'We've been discussing the application with the Police, Licensing and other responsible authorities for the last two weeks and have made a number of changes to the application.
'Would you be around to have a chat in person?
'The best email to get me on is rjew2000@gmail.com. Also please feel free to pass my number and contact details to your readers and committee.
Warm regards, Richard'
If you want to comment I'd strongly advise following the basic licensing criteria – try to fit your comments under the following headings:
The prevention of crime and disorder
The prevention of nuisance
Public safety
The protection of children from harm
Comments must be submitted in writing including by email to licensing@islington.gov.uk by 12 August 2011 or on paper to
The Licensing Support Team
Public Protection
222 Upper Street
London N1 1XR
 | William Pitt-Jones on Rufford Street local hist… |
 | Shirley Nicholson on Kings Cross voices back on the… |
 | Cally Labour Council… on End of the road? |
 | Daniel Z. Zylberszta… on End of the road? |
 | Tony Rees on End of the road? |
| Daniel Z. Zylberszta… on Yes! It’s all gone 20 mi… |
 | Edward on Yes! It’s all gone 20 mi… |
| TFL Consultation… on New Consultation Launched for… |
Pollution levels on Euston Road King’s Cross weather (BBC)
Kings Cross Environment 