Assets of Community Value

We have worked hard, together with members of the Kentish Town Neighbourhood Forum, to get local pubs listed as Assets of Community Value. This takes a long time and involves a great deal of research, which was halted during the lockdown, but the following pubs (not all in the KTRA area but in Kentish Town) are now ACV listed (which means they are more protected from closure): The Grafton; the Pineapple; The Vine; The Old Farmhouse (previously the Lady Hamilton) and The Rose & Crown. We have more pubs to research. We would be grateful for offers of help. 

Planning applications

The most recent major application we are dealing with is that for a development in Regis Road (Application number: 2025/4861/P). This proposed development will affect everyone in Kentish Town because the proposed highest residential block will be 23 storeys high. KTRA and other groups have been invited to a number of consultations with Camden Council to look at and discuss the presentations. Comments are due in by 5 December. We would be interested to hear what local people think once the plans have been looked at on the Camden planning website. 

Working with several other groups, notably Dartmouth Park Neighbourhood Forum, we successfully opposed the planning application for development of Murphy’s Yard. There was huge public opposition and the application was withdrawn. There will be another application, which we will scrutinise closely.

We have successfully opposed planning applications for high telecommunication masts and Link phone boxes with huge advertising panels. We have tried to oppose solid shutters on shop windows (they make the street very dark at night), and we have looked at overdevelopment above the roofline of buildings.  

LICENSING APPLICATIONS

We check all licensing applications. We are opposed to late night and early morning licences because the disruption caused by customers at those times can cause considerable disturbance.

PADDY POWER BETTING SHOP

In 2004 a group of Kentish Town residents set up a “Kentish Town Residents Betting Office Working Group” (snappy title). Paddy Power had succeeded in getting change of use permission for a betting office in 218-220 Kentish Town Road. This crept up on us unexpectedly. We were not a group yet, but one resident had spotted what was happening and alerted us. We quickly gathered together to oppose the granting of a licence. There were already seven betting offices in Kentish Town Road at that time. We set up a petition which was signed by 1,353 people.

The Licensing Hearing was held at Brent Magistrate’s court on the 15 / 16 / 17 June 2004. It actually took four days because on one of the days a prisoner escaped through the ceiling of a court and the whole building was evacuated.

Our group attended every day. We wore big badges made by one of us. We defended ourselves and made speeches. We were well-prepared.  Opposite us was a Silk barrister employed by Paddy Power. He didn’t know quite what to make of us and tried to belittle us, with no success.

WE WON and now there’s a Superdrug at 218-220 Kentish Town Road.

NOW

Since then KTRA (which is now a group of residents and business people) has kept an eye on all planning and licensing applications, shops, transport, lighting, design and everything to do with Kentish Town Road from the railway bridge in the south – up to and including the southern parts of Highgate Road and Fortess Road in the north.

We welcome new members- email us at: 

Caroline Hill: Co-Chair KTRA- chdesign@btinternet.com 

Jo Sherren: Co-Chair KTRA- jaspersorange@hotmail.com

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