The Bacton development represents a significant shift in the approach to housing in the Camden area. The partnership of Camden Council with Mount Anvil, a private developer, who has been tasked to redevelop Bacton Low Rise has sparked considerable attention and concern, particularly due to the scale and density of the proposed construction.
The area around Queen’s Crescent is one of England’s most deprived areas. Originally, Bacton Low Rise was a well-planned community of four-storey blocks that fostered a sense of community with green spaces and low-rise design. The original planned rebuild of the estate was a council-led initiative, of which the council said, “The project, designed by Karakusevic Carson Architects, is notable for the close involvement the tenants’ and residents’ association, the district management committee chair and local residents have had in developing the scheme.”
The original initiative led to the creation of the award winning Cherry Court – a development praised for its sensitivity to the surrounding environment and architectural context. This project reflected the desires and needs of residents, indicating a collaborative approach to urban development. Built adjacent to Vicar’s Road and close to St Martins church, it does not overwhelm other buildings on the street.
Phase 2 on the Bacton site was never completed and now Mount Anvil have put forward a new plan which increases the number of dwellings by a further 200 dwellings from the previous Karakusevic Carson Architect’s plan.
The current proposal is twice as high and dense as recommended by Camden’s planners and will cause harm to people, the community and the environment. They have now planned for 446-460 dwellings from the original 99, resulting in three tower blocks up to – 23-26 storeys high – to accommodate the super high density on this one site. Only 104 homes will be for social rent and the remaining 333 for private sale.
The proposal has raised questions about the balance between private development interests and the needs of the community, especially considering the substantial increase in private dwellings compared to those available for social rent. Such high-density developments will exacerbate issues like overcrowding and strain on local resources and infrastructure such as parking, transport, schools and doctors surgeries, in an already challenged and deprived community.
The Bacton Low Rise proposal will lead to significant challenges and damage related to community identity, housing affordability, and the overall impact on the local environment and existing residents. We do not support the building of large numbers of private homes in order to provide developer profit. We demand a return to direct delivery with a better mix of homes, to better meet the needs of local people.
For further information, please see:
Camden Council information about the redevelopment can be found here: https://www.camden.gov.uk/bacton-low-rise
Mount Anvil information about the regeneration can be found here: https://bacton.govocal.com/en-GB/projects
You can feedback to Camden Council here
https://bacton.govocal.com/en-GB/projects/bacton-phase-two
Bacton Towers Action 