Camden New Journal - News: 'Battery chicken' conditions for students

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Camden New Journal - by DAN CARRIER
Published: 26 April 2007

The proposed site is a car park on Harmood Street in Chalk Farm

‘Battery chicken’ conditions for students

STUDENTS will be forced to live like battery chickens if plans to build a six-storey block in Chalk Farm are given the go-ahead, say neighbours fighting the plans.
The new building, planned for a temporary car park in Harmood Street, will provide more than 300 bedsits.
But neighbours say the designs will have rooms that are too small, will be noisy and cut out sunlight from the street’s Victorian, two-storey terraced homes.
They also believe the new student digs would have rooms that break guidance for sunlight, as two floors will be below ground level.
Stephan Janes, the chairman of the Harmood Street, Clarence Way and Hartland Road Residents Association, has joined more than 40 other objectors to ask the Town Hall to force architects to go back to the drawing board.
Mr Janes said: “Building so many rooms without natural light will create battery chicken conditions for students, while cramming so many on a such a small is unacceptable.”
He has calculated that the design would represent 1,875 rooms per hectare, while the usual density is between 400 and 600 rooms.
Another fear is that developers have not struck a deal with a university or college to help run the building.
Mr Janes said: “Without an institute overseeing it it is a recipe for mismanagement.”
And he believes the block will also ruin the look of the street. He said: “This is a conservation area, and it fails to preserve or enhance the character of Harmood Street.”
The design includes a courtyard garden in the middle of the building prompting fears of noise. Mr Janes said: “The scheme’s central courtyard will mean that students congregate there for relaxation and – potentially noisy – enjoyment.”
He said the association’s members feared students would mean more anti-social behaviour.
Developers Risetall said the homes were needed.
A spokesman said: “It will make an important contribution towards the recognised borough and London-wide deficiency in modern, purpose built student accommodation.
“We are aware of residents concerns and have discussed them with planning officers at Camden when putting together a revised scheme.”
They added that they would seal a deal with London university to help manage the site if permission was granted.

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