NORTH KENSINGTON DESPERATELY NEEDS NEW HOMES

BUT NOT THESE KIND OF HOMES! OR A HIGH RISE, HIGH DENSITY DEVELOPMENT ON THIS SCALE.

WE NEED HOMES THAT BUILD A COMMUNITY

WE NEED HOMES THAT SERVE THAT COMMUNITY

WE NEED HOMES THAT ARE FUTURE PROOFED & CLIMATE ADAPTABILE

WE NEED A DEVELOPMENT THAT IS SENSITIVE TO ITS SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES AND ENVIRONMENT

WE BELIEVE NEW HOMES IN NORTH KEN SHOULD BE DELIVERED DIFFERENTLY

The purpose of this website is to explain why many in North Ken oppose the development plans as they stand. If you also disagree with the proposed development, then we ask that you take a few minutes to register an objection with Kensington & Chelsea planning team on a matter that will affect you for years to come.

Social Housing

Note ‘affordable’ means 85% of the market rate which is NOT affordable to most Londoners. Many of the homes will be sold ‘on-plan’ to foreign investors so may never be lived in.

Decontamination

The land will require serious remediation to decontaminate it to a ‘safe’ level. A very similar development on a former gasworks in Southall has been making local residents unwell. So unwell, that Imperial College, Brunel University, UCL & CentricLab are currently investigating these claims.

Gasworks Developments are very complex. They take TIME & MONEY – both of which are unavailable to big property developers only because of the financialization of housing.

Berkley are developing ?? former Gasworks, known as brown field sites across the UK.

The London Plan names Kensal Canalside, a brown field site. as ‘opportunity area’ 1 of 47 in the Greater London area. .

We simply cannot let this happen anywhere in London North

The construction will take 10 years to complete

The remediation obviously carries a cost – Ballymore are saying that this extra cost will means they can only build a certain amount of ‘affordable’ homes which is approximately 500 out of the 2500 units.

Tall Buildings & Massing

The development will be made up of 46 new buildings with nine being over 20 storeys high. This will radically change the character of the area, and quite literally cast a shadow over the cemetery. It will increase demand on local infrastructure, including schools, GP surgeries.

Harm To Heritage Sites

The land is situated between two heritage sites and will cause significant harm to both

Transport

This will bring heavy congestion to and cause major bottlenecks and gridlock on Ladbroke Grove, Harrow Rd, Kensal Rd, Barlby Rd, and Chamberlyn Rd

There is a single access road to the site and no nearby rail hubs.

YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard!)

London desperately needs new social rent homes – we are not against building on this site but we demand the new homes are built safely and are truly affordable – HEALTHY SOCIAL HOMES.