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Camden News - by TOM FOOT
Published: 4 December 2008

Council U-turn over King’s Cross plan

FINANCE chiefs have been forced into a u-turn over controversial plans to redevelop the Camden Centre.
In June the council announced plans to tranform the historic civic centre in King’s Cross into a “one stop shop” for Town Hall call centre services – but within six months the scheme has hit the buffers.
Councillor Ralph Scott admitted yesterday (Wednesday) that the property market crash meant the flagship plan was no longer a sensible use of public funds.
He said: “Obviously, it is not worth selling anything if the values do not stack up.
“We have no particular plan at the moment. We are still exploring options for the Camden Centre, but the timing of the proposals has been effected by the credit crunch.”
The council set out “exciting” plans in June to bundle 20 public offices in King’s Cross into the Grade-II listed Camden Centre in Bidborough Street – where Blues legend Muddy Waters once played – allowing them to sell off part of the Town Hall.
The neighbouring Town Hall extension, which faces a £15-million urgent repair bill, was to be demolished and replaced.
Cllr Scott said he had not given up on the
programme and that the council had recently commissioned a feasibility study into a range of possibilities including plans to build a 26-storey super tower.
He added: “There are a number of potential outcomes from the
feasibility study. That could take a few months and we will know more next year.”
King’s Cross ward councillor Jonathan Simpson said it was no time to build super
towers and that the council should be more “frugal”.
He added: “There was a high degree of
enthusiasm in the build up to these announcements but it’s all gone quiet now. It’s just stalling and stalling and people are in the dark on this one.”

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