To remind established residents and to introduce us to new residents…
The Inkerman Area Residents Association (IARA) is our local residents’ association. We cover the area bounded to the east by Kentish Town Road, to the south by Prince of Wales Road and to the west and north by the railway lines.
That’s about 10 streets. Prince of Wales, Anglers Lane, Alma, Cathcart, Raglan, Inkerman, Willes, Grafton, Ryland, Holmes and then tiny Perren St and Athlone St.
We started about 50 years ago. We are all volunteers. Anyone who lives here is automatically a member, and you can be involved in the association by coming to our occasional meetings – the last AGM had 70+ members attending, and/or joining our ever-growing WhatsApp group which now has over 276 members and is very lively. Just email us on inkermanara@hotmail.com with your name, address and phone number to join.
It is extremely active about local planning and traffic matters as well as too many offers to list: eg some very good quality furniture, tickets for events, cat food! etc. and requests for help and recommendations for resources and tradespeople as well as answers and offers of help.
And you can also join one or more of the other WhatsApp groups: The Local History Group has 27 members and we are responsible for the Local History section on the IARA website. Introduction to the history pages. The Theatre Goers group has 41 members and they have very successful evenings out together of theatre and sometimes supper. The Dog lovers group has 16 members and is a great exchange of information network. The SustainIARA has 22 members and is working on sharing knowledge of climate mitigation and resilience. Ideas about Green Issues and practical ideas about greening our homes Sustain IARA – the Inkerman Area Residents Association sustainability group. Information sheet on some local houses. The Trees and Gardening group of 23 members cares for the street trees and has recently broadened its remit to be an exchange of information and resources for all gardening including window boxes etc.
We play an active part in representing our interests to Camden Council, helping to make this an attractive neighbourhood and a good place to live.
We’ve been involved in major planning and environmental issues, (helping to head off some truly awful planning applications), in 2024 we successfully opposed the hugely noisy and objectionable Beer Garden and also successfully opposed the application by Segro for a warehouse in Grafton Rd. See some of the recent updates.
A huge triumph was joining with other local groups to defeat the application by Murphy’s at the top of the High St for a massive over-development – including 19 story tower blocks – blocking the view of the Heath.
This year and last has seen a massive amount our attention and work about the proposed application for developments on Regis Road, the area that lies just to our north and includes our north-most street Homes Road. It is very complicated and you am like to look here: IARA’s submission to Camden regarding the application for developments on Regis Road. Submitted 10.3.26
In the past we have also dealt with endless licensing applications, and with the Kentish Town Baths redevelopment, the French School, gardening schemes. Street parties and IARA meetings and events are a chance to meet neighbours and work out which issues are important for the area.
Past meetings have usually been well attended by residents, local councillors and – when there are particular issues to discuss – relevant council officers.
We have organised the Alma Street Fair most years which is quite a major event. See on this website and if you Google Alma St Fair you can see reports. In 2026 we are having a break from such large events and aiming for smaller, more community based street parties.
Newsletters. We also have an email list of residents and others who are interested, including our local councillors, and we send out newsletters monthly or six weekly where issues can be dealt with more slowly and deeply than on the quickfire WhatsApp group. Many previous newsletters are on this website under “Archives” – back to January 2007! Again let us know if you want to get those.
As of March 2016 we are now Inkerman Area Residents Association Limited. ie we have limited liability so that the officers, Chair, Secretary and Treasurer, do not have unlimited liability if we go bust. Registered office 31 Alma St NW5 3DH Registered in England No. 10075818.