Queen Mary’s House in Hampstead among sites slated for development by draft Camden plan
Queen Mary's House. Picture: Polly Hancock - Credit: Archant
Queen Mary’s House in Hampstead could be redeveloped to create 150 homes, according to Camden’s draft ‘site allocations local plan’ policy.
Queen Mary's House. - Credit: Polly Hancock
The council is consulting on an extensive planning document which will - along with its local plan, neighbourhood plans and the mayor of London's city plan - form the framework town hall officers and committee members work to when deciding on planning applications.
The draft document identifies areas of potential housing growth, with a focus on seven areas across the council thinks have capacity for housebuilding including Kentish Town and the so-called "West Hampstead interchange area".
Individual sites are also picked out - including Queen Mary's House and the old Hampstead delivery office.
Queen Mary's House, owned by the Royal Free Hospital NHS Trust, has been subject to community concern after it emerged the trust was hoping to sell off the site - which has provided accommodation for nurses and, more recently, other key workers such as teachers.
David Castle, the Heath and Hampstead Society's planning committee chair said: "It's good news for the hospital. It's almost tantamount to giving permission for what's said - 150 homes could be worth at the very least £150m, it'd be an offer the Royal Free can't refuse."
In late 2018, the society and other groups formed a pressure group to lobby for the trust to refrain from selling up to a private developer.
Most Read
- 1 Hampstead pharmacy under investigation over extra charges for prescriptions
- 2 Motorcyclist injured in Highgate Hill collision
- 3 Hampstead school removes sanctioned oligarch's name from pavilion
- 4 Missing pet rabbit found by chance tip by stranger 'lucky to be alive'
- 5 Call to make road safer after car crash between Highgate and Crouch End
- 6 Man in his 30s stabbed to death
- 7 Jailed: 'Brazen' cannabis sweet dealers sentenced
- 8 Court: Disciplinary rules not followed in 'unfair' sacking, lawyer suggests
- 9 Beloved father choked to death on cauliflower after Highgate Care Home 'neglect'
- 10 Cannabis sweets: the drugs danger that put 17 north London schoolgirls in hospital
Others, including Cllr Oliver Cooper (Con, Hampstead Town) have criticised earmarking the O2 Centre car park site in Finchley Road for 950 housing units.
Cllr Cooper said: "Camden is trying to force far too many units on a fair few sites. [950 units] would make it the most densely populated site in the north of the borough."
Other sites highlighted in the document include the newly-listed Grand Union House in Camden Town and Highgate New Town community centre.
The Royal Free Hospital confirmed there remains "no movement" on any sale of Queen Mary's House as yet.
To see the full consultation, visit camdensiteallocations.commonplace.is/
