We received the following response to our letter from Cllr Sagal Abdi-Wali at 12:08am on Tuesday, 6 October 2026, two days before she was elected as MP of Holborn & St Pancras (highlights in bold added by us):
“Thank you for your letter regarding the Bacton Low Rise Estate redevelopment. I understand and share your frustration at the delays here – the site has stood vacant for much longer than anticipated, and the latest delay is disappointing. While there are a number of complex issues still being worked through, our focus remains on bringing forward a deliverable scheme that provides the affordable homes local people need and allows the site to be brought back into use as quickly as possible.
You asked specifically about the possibility of removing the hoardings and opening the site for temporary public use. I have discussed this with colleagues and we are continuing to explore what options might be feasible while the longer-term plans for the site are progressed.
However, there are some significant challenges that would need to be addressed. The site is not currently suitable for public access and would require substantial health and safety works. There would also be costs associated with making the site safe, operating and maintaining any temporary use, and ultimately restoring the site for development. In addition, there are contractual requirements around vacant possession which mean any meanwhile use would need to be carefully considered to avoid creating risks or delays to the delivery of new homes.
For those reasons, no decisions have been made and we will continue to assess the opportunities alongside the practical, financial and programme implications.
Our priority remains securing a deliverable scheme that brings forward much-needed affordable homes on the site as quickly as possible. As you will know, it is a challenging time for house building across Camden and London, and the Mayor of London and national Government have introduced temporary measures to kickstart house building across the city.
Particularly on affordable housing, we were deeply disappointed by the Planning Inspector’s decision at Camden Goods Yard. Nevertheless, my colleagues and I will continue to do everything we can as a council to tackle the housing crisis and deliver the affordable and council housing that our residents urgently need – whether through our own Community Investment Programme, or through pushing for the maximum viable level of genuinely affordable housing in other developments.
Thank you again for taking the time to write. We will continue to keep local residents informed as the project progresses and as further proposals come forward for consultation.
Kind regards,
Councillor Sagal Abdi-Wali
Leader of the Council
Labour Councillor for Camden Square Ward”
Between these lines is an admission that Mount Anvil’s scheme is no longer ‘deliverable’ and alternatives are being considered.
We will use the opportunity this presents to push for a Council-led scheme that does not involve selling off public land to a private developer for profit.
