TheCIPChallengeCentralSomersTownCIP

SlaneyDevlinChair,SomersTownNeighbourhoodForum

CentralSomersTownCIP

2013scheme

Costsof2013scheme

Costsof2015scheme

•  CamdenCouncilhavenotrevealedthecostsofthescheme.

•  TheLondonMayor’sStageIIplanningreportrevealedtherebuildingoftheschoolandcommunityfaciliIes,andthereprovisionofpublicopenspaceisexpectedtobeapproximately£27million.

•  Theschemeitselfwillafford14percent(20units)ofaffordablehousing.

•  Costshavegoneupby80percentintwoyears.

Whydidcostsrisesomuch?

•  Viabilityassessmentsencouragedeveloperstomaximisecosts.WithoutanOpenBookpolicy,thepublichavenowayofchallengingfigures.

•  Thedesignoftheschool:theschoolasdesignedwillbeaoneformentryprimaryschool,butwillbeasbigasatwoformentryprimaryschool.

•  ThedecisiontobuildthehighestresidenIaltowerinCamdenwasanexpensiveone,astallbuildingstakelongertobuild,costmoreandarelessefficient.

Whybuildachildren’scentre?

Whypayovertheoddsforsocialhousing?

IaskedthequesIon:IftheaddiIonalfloorspaceaffordedbytheAHFis47813-22315=25,498sqbor2,369m2andthatiscosIng£10.3M,thentheconstrucIoncostis£4,347persqmetre.I’mtoldthatconstrucIoncostsinLondonhavegoneupmassivelyrecently,butarecurrentlyaround£2,200persqmetre.SothisschemeiscosIngdoublethegoingrate?

Ireceivedthisanswerfromtheplanningofficer:Ihavediscussedthiswithourviabilityconsultant.ThecostoftheaddiIonalaffordableisdrivenprimarilybylossofprivatefloorspacewhenitisswitchedtoaffordable,astheprivatevaluesareover£10,000persqm.Sotheleveloffundingrequiredwouldnotbedrivenbybuildcostsassuch.Ihopethismakessense.

TheNeighbourhoodForum’sposiIon

TheForumvaluesourgreenspacesandbelievesthatbothPurcheseStreetandPolygonRoadopenspacesshouldbedesignatedLocalGreenSpaces;

•  wishestoseeairqualityinSomersTownimprove;•  ishugelyconcernedaboutthecumulaIveimpactoftheCIP,HS2,Crossrail2,theMariaFidelisconsolidaIonprojectandtheBriIshLibraryextensionproject;

•  supportstherebuildingofEdithNevilleSchool;•  believesthereisacheaper,beier,moredeliverablesoluIoninSomersTown.

AnalternaIveplan

Inresponsetoawidespreadcommunitycallsforafirstphase“dominimum”investmentopIontorebuildtheschool,theForumputforwardanalternaIveproposalthatincluded40–50newhousingunits.ThisproposalwasassessedbyLBC’sindependentpropertyandcostconsultantswhoconcludedthatit“couldgeneratesufficientvaluetobuildanewschoolandcompletetheenablingandinfrastructureworksassociatedwiththenewprivatehousingandschool.”

Whycan’ttheybuildabovetheschool?

PopulaIoninSomersTownistoincreaseby47.4%by2028.

CamdenhastoplanfornewschoolplacesinSomersTown.Theschoolmayneedtoexpandupwardsinthefuture.

ThepopulaIonexplosioncomesfromtheKing’sCrossDevelopment,withitsowntwo-form-entryprimaryschool.

Typeofhousingproposed

•  Housingplotsarenotmixedtenure.Thetoweris100percentprivate,withtheviabilityassessmentproposingvaluesforsomeoftheflatsat“substanIallyover£2,000persqb”.

•  Theviabilityassessmentbemoansthecloseproximityofsocialhousingonprivatehousingvalues.

•  WequesIonthesensiIvityofbuildinghomesforthesuperrichinanareafamedforitssocialhousing.Thisisnotaplanforsocialcohesion.Whathappenedto“buildingfortheSomersTowncommunity”?

Ignoringplanningpolicy

TheCentralSomersTownCIPbreachesCamden’sownguidanceon:•  Tallbuildings•  Heritage•  Openspace•  Light•  Overlooking•  Disabledparking

Whatwewouldliketosee

•  ProperconsultaIon,wheretheCouncilasksopenquesIons,listenstotheanswersandkeepsa“donothing”opIononthetable;

•  Anopenbookpolicy,wherethepubliccanscruIniseandchallengedevelopments;

•  Evenbeier,anendtoviabilityassessments;•  ProperconsideraIonofenvironmentalandhealthimpacts,

includingairpolluIonandlossofgreenspace.•  Homes,includingprivateandsharedownershiphomes,

thatmeetlocalneedratherthanmaximisingprofit.•  ACouncilthatforcefullymakesthecaseformoregenuinely

affordablehousing–notaCouncilthatbuildsinvestmentflatsforthesuperrich.

ThefutureoftheCIPinSomersTown