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Think again on KX project
• GROUPS from the King’s Cross Think Again campaign are hoping Camden’s development control meeting today (Thursday) will listen to our calls for the huge King’s Cross development to be looked at again.
In March, Camden gave provisional consent to an outline application which essentially gives the developers a blank cheque for this important site. Our lawyers have said that in many respects the March decision was contrary to both policy and law.
But councillors still have the power to make changes. Because the March decision was provisional, we shall be urging them not to make it final at the meeting.
Housing is a key issue for King’s Cross residents. The current scheme only provides for 40–44 per cent of the housing to be affordable, but Camden’s Revised Unitary Development Plan, adopted as policy in June, now requires 50 per cent affordable housing for the King’s Cross Opportunity Area.
Of that affordable housing, 70 per cent should be social housing for rent, but the current scheme offers less than 30 per cent.
There are other big problems including demolishing heritage buildings, breach of air quality policies, ignoring London policies for the canal, and the danger of agreeing an outline scheme with little control over what the development will be like or its impacts on neighbouring areas of Camden and Islington.
We’ve been waiting and working for regeneration in King’s Cross for many years. This is a once in a lifetime chance to get something really good for the people who live, work and visit here.
Come on Camden, you’ve still got time to get it right.
MICHAEL EDWARDS
King’s Cross Think Again Campaign
Caledonian Road
N1
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