Dear Councillors and Officers.
This is a deputation request for Thursday’s meeting – in association with Caroline Hill from Kentish Town Road Action who is in touch with you.
Name: David Jockelson
Contact number and/or email address: 07956 816434. Inkermanara@hotmail.com
I represent The Inkerman Area Residents Association.
My address is: 31 Alma Street London NW5 3DH.
The address of the application that we are writing about: 187 Kentish Town Road NW1
I will not waste the committee’s time by repeating all the points made by Caroline but it is important to emphasise that our residents association covers 12 streets, exactly adjacent to this site, and is accepted by Camden Council as being fully representative of local people. We consult constantly on planning applications and discuss them via meetings and emails to 400+ residents and by our active WhatsApp to 200+.
We have consulted our members on this proposal and there is widespread opposition to this application.
When planning permission was granted for a 2-storey roof extension to provide more private residential accommodation, the only community benefit was the cinema space that was specified as part of the application. It was on this basis that there was support for the application, which was not otherwise popular.
In the intervening nine years, the space designated for a cinema has remained empty because, the owner says, they have been unable to let it on their terms, terms that include a relatively short lease and a high commercial rent. On the other hand, they have had the financial benefit of the additional storey. Despite a number of approaches by cinema and similar organisations, the owners have been unwilling to negotiate on their terms and the space has remained empty. They quote the lack of viability – which effectively means profitability.
Although it is very much the local preference for the owner to be prepared to negotiate with potential cinema providers to provide what was promised, if this proves unachievable, at least in the short term, then another use could be considered if it provides genuine benefit to the community. Residents would prefer to see this, rather than to leave the space empty.
The area is crying out for better community resources and has a lot of community energy – as demonstrated by all the activities of local associations including the Alma Street Fair and Camdenist. The council owns number two Prince Of Wales Rd for which there have been plans for community use but it does not include anything that could be a performance area which 187 could provide – at an appropriate size for community productions, lectures, conferences and film showings. If combined, these two sites could represent real creative community hub.
A major new stimulus is the proposal that the area at the top of the High Street becomes a “Film Quarter” with serious money and energy coming from Yoo Capital who have a track record in genuine community provision.
To allow this these premises to fall into normal commercial use would therefore to miss a major opportunity that would be a source of energy, would conform with the strategic plans for London and Camden and would be a credit to Camden Council.
We are therefore not altogether opposed to a grant of Class F1/F2, but are strongly opposed to a grant of Class E, which would not only clearly make a mockery of the original grant of cinema use but would remove any incentive to the developer genuinely to seek community use.
We ask that the committee refuse this application as it stands.
David Jockelson
Secretary IARA
Inkerman Area Residents Association Limited
Registered in England No. 10075818 Registered Office: 31 Alma Street, London, NW5 3DH
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