During the third week of June, Mount Anvil presented its final designs to residents. This is the last version of their plans, which they will submit as a full planning application to Camden council (expected this summer).
We attended two of the public drop-in sessions and looked at the materials Mount Anvil presented. We have put together the most important bits from our perspective below, but you can download a PDF version of the exhibition boards here.
The bottom line is that there have been no substantial changes since the first design proposals we saw in late 2024. This is despite nearly two years of ongoing ‘consultation’ with residents.
The final designs reveal a few more details about public spaces, access and interior design, and Mount Anvil have made one small concession by lowering the tallest tower by a total of two storeys, from 23 down to 21.
It was striking to see that most of the material presented to the public doesn’t actually show the towers at all. Take for example this illustrated site map, which only shows the floor plan rather than the heights:
Mount Anvil only showed one panel that showed the scale of the development. In justifying the height of the towers, they repeat the line that this is the cost we have to pay if we are to get any social housing. In other words, no towers, no social rent homes.
Finally, we learnt from Mount Anvil’s updated timeline that construction will happen in two phases and won’t end until 2032. If they started next year, that would be five years of continuous disruption, traffic, noise, dust and pollution. But of course we shouldn’t complain since we will get some social housing out of this eventually.
We do not think this is a fair deal for our community. We don’t believe Camden council should allow a private developer to blackmail residents desperate for new social and affordable housing to absorb all the negative impacts while they walk away with a huge profit.
We will be opposing this scheme at the planning stage with everything we’ve got. Because our community deserves so much better – we deserve decent, appropriate, beautiful low-rise social and affordable homes.
Housing is a human right, not an investment opportunity.
Please join our email list to receive updates about the planning process and how you can get involved in demanding a better development for Bacton.
Bacton Towers Action 