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1: Introduction

2: The planning and development process

1 Design for London (2006–2013) was the mayor of London’s architecture studio. The diagram was produced for the exhibition ‘London Open City’, Somerset House, 20 June–20 July 2008.

2 Town and Country Planning Act, 1947.

3 Department for Communities and Local Government, Plain English Guide to the Planning System, January 2015. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/391694/Plain_English_guide_to_the_planning_system.pdf

4 Since 2011 the mayor also has powers to direct approval.

5 The main legislation that sets out the process for the preparation of local plans can be found in Part 2 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 as amended and The Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 as amended.

6 David Hickey, ‘Cameron labels planning official “enemies of enterprise”’, Planning, 7 March 2011. http://www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1058481/cameron-labels-planning-officials-enemies-enterprise (accessed 8 October 2015).

7 Community Infrastructure Levy. http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/planning/applications/howtoapply/whattosubmit/cil (accessed 12 November 2015).

8 The deregulation of the financial markets in 1986.

9 Through its workplace programme, Newham council has placed 30,000 local residents into jobs as part of the large scale regeneration happening in the borough. Interview with Sir Robin Wales, 18 February 2016.

10 Acronym ‘not in my back yard’.

11 Interview with Alison Lowton, 9 February 2015.

3: History and development context

1 John Rocque, An Exact Survey of the Citys of London, Westminster, ye Borough of Southwark, and the Country near Ten Miles round, 1769. http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/crace/a/007zzz000000019u00018000.html.() (accessed 8 October 2015).

2 Charles Booth Online Archive, Maps Descriptive of London Poverty. http://booth.lse.ac.uk/static/a/4.html (accessed 1 October 2015).

3 John R. Kellett, The Impact of the Railways on the Victorian City (London and Henley: Routledge and Kegan Paul 1979), pp244–262.

4 Urban Initiatives, ‘Regent Quarter, King’s Cross, London’ rudi.net. http://www.rudi.net/node/21006() (accessed 8 October 2015).

5 Stock Conversion’s holdings around Balfe Street were subsequently acquired by P&O Developments, and their first plan in 2000 involved the demolition of many buildings. Again it attracted intense opposition from local residents and community groups as well as English Heritage, and in February 2001 the plans were rejected by Islington council. P&O, shocked at the strength of local opposition to its piecemeal approach, went back to the drawing board. The new scheme was considerably more sympathetic. It retained the historic buildings alongside modern structures of a similar scale built around a series of internal courtyards. The scheme, Regent Quarter, received planning permission in December 2001.

6 Letter from LRC to director of British Rail property board, 28 September 1987.

7 For further information on these campaigns see: Angela Inglis, King’s Cross: A Sense of Place (Matador Publishing Ltd, September 2012); and Michael Edwards, ‘King’s Cross: Renaissance for Whom?’ in Urban Design, and the British Urban Renaissance, ed. J. Punter (London: Routledge, 2009), pp189–205.

8 It is interesting to compare this to present policies in the London Plan, which expect 650–1100 hra, or up to 10 times this density.

9 Letter from LRC to director of British Rail property board, 28 September 1987.

10 Letter from LRC to director of British Rail property board, 28 September 1987.

11 See: http://coinstreet.org/

12 London Borough of Camden, King’s Cross Central, Officer’s Report, 2006, paras 1.5.2–1.5.16. The decision was finally confirmed in January 1994 by transport minister, John MacGregor, in a statement to Parliament.

13 Roger Madelin, interview, 27 September 2015.

14 Michael Parkes, King’s Cross Railway Lands: Towards a People’s Plan (London: KXRLG, 1991); Michael Parkes, ‘Community Participation and Urban Regeneration: King’s Cross and the Elephant and Castle’, in The Contested Metropolis: Six Cities at the Beginning of the 21st Century, ed. Raffaele Paloscia (Basel: Birkhäuser Verlag, 2004).

15 Edwards,‘King’s Cross’, pp189–205. Reproduced by permission of Taylor & Francis Books UK.

16 Additional planning contributions would have been required, which would have had a direct impact on land values. Moreover, the land was substantially owned by the government, which had funded the improvements in the first place. There was therefore no direct windfall to the eventual developers of the site.

17 The Railways Act 1993 provided for the restructuring of the British Railways board (BRB), the public corporation that owned and operated the national railway system and allowed separated parts of the railway to be transferred to the private sector.

18 Given the huge sums required for the engineering works, property receipts were never a key element in the funding package. The site was valued at current use value (about £50 million for land at both King’s Cross and Stratford), and LCR’s government grant was reduced by that amount. Effectively, this meant that a significant percentage of the uplift in value from any development would accrue to LCR. The development lands overage gave LCR a 20 per cent profit with the remainder then being split 50:50 with the government.

19 LCR was a consortium of various companies including Warburg (now UBS), Virgin (who left early), National Express Group, SNCF, Systra, Halcrow, Arups, Bectel and later London Electricity. Virgin and National Express were to run Eurostar, with Bectel and Halcrow overseeing the railway design and construction.

20 This had design implications for the development of the railway lands. The high-level embankment further isolated the site from its immediate surroundings, in particular the communities to the west in Somers Town.

21 In January 2016, the government announced the sale of its stake in King’s Cross to AustralianSuper for £371 million. Financial Times, 28 January 2016.

22 This funding remained blocked until London won the Olympics bid in July 2005 and completion of the station became essential in order to service the Olympics site at Stratford (see Chapter 9). Interviews with Stephen Jordan, June 2015, and Roger Madelin, December 2014.

23 Interview, Stephen Jordan, June 2015.

24 Interviews Stephen Jordan, 24 June 2015, and Roger Mann, January 2015.

25 Interview with Stephen Jordan, June 2015.

26 Two of the firms, Allies and Morrison and Porphyrios Associates, were to be employed subsequently as the King’s Cross masterplanners.

27 Interview with Roger Madelin, 28 September 2015.

28 Until 2004, Argent St George is used to refer to the joint company, but where Argent was leading the negotiations, the company is referred to just as Argent.

29 London Communications Agency, press release, Argent St George, 31 March 2000.

30 The Channel Tunnel Rail Link Act was eventually enacted in 1996.

31 Interview with Sir Stuart Lipton, 25 November 2015.

4: Establishing the framework for negotiations

1 The 26.1-hectare development site (figure taken from the planning submission on 28 April 2004) was not exactly a blank sheet of paper. Apart from the canal, gasholders and a set of historic 19th-century buildings, the site contained a number of later buildings and structures. At the time of Argent St George’s appointment, it was also occupied by CTRL and LUL construction compounds, a gas company depot, a golf driving range, a go-kart circuit, car storage areas and nightclubs. There were also a number of small businesses operating on short-term licenses agreed with the landowners. Although the Culross and Stanley Buildings had been squatted, these were now empty and there were no people living on the site. (Interview with Roger Madelin, 20 October 2015.)

2 The London Government Act 1963.

3 Nick Wates, The Battle for Tolmers Square (Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1976).

4 Interview with Dr Jane Roberts DBE, Leader of Camden Council (2000–05), 21 September 2015.

5 The official measure of multiple deprivation, which compromises 37 different indicators.

6 ‘Local Demographic Context’, Camden Local Implementation Plan 2005/06 to 2010/1. https://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/cms-service/stream/asset/?asset_id=572104 (accessed 18 January 2016).

7 Camden Childcare Sufficiency Assessment April 2011 Annexe 1 Camden Demographics. http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content/education/pre-school/camden-childcare-sufficiency-assessment-/ (accessed 13 AprilOctober 2016)

8 LB Camden, Social Inclusion Strategy, August 2003. http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/cms-service/stream/asset/?asset_id=630419 (accessed 6 October 2014).

9 Camden Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy Part 1. The Strategy January 2003. www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/cms…/Part%201%20Jan%202003.pdf?asset… (accessed 18 January 2016).

10 ibid.

11 ibid.

12 London Borough of Camden, Our Camden Our Future.

13 ibid.

14 Camden Council’s Borough wide Tenancy Strategy, January 2013.

15 Greater London Authority, London Divided, Income Inequality and Poverty in the Capital, November 2002.

16 London Borough of Camden, Our Camden Our Future.

17 Camden Neighbourhood Regeneration Strategy, Part 1, Analysis, January 2003.

18 ibid.

19 ibid.

20 ibid.

21 Letter from Jane Roberts to Steve Bundred, 18 May 2000.

22 Letter from Jane Roberts to Steve Bundred, 17 September 2000.

23 Interview with Theo Blackwell, 2 October 2015. A similar trip was organised to Bilbao in the autumn of 2006 between the same officers and councillor Mike Greene, the executive member for planning under the new Conservative administration. The result was very similar, garnering good working relationships and new political aspirations. On both trips officers and councillors paid their own expenses.

24 See Chapter 6 for definitions of affordable housing.

25 Interview with Roger Madelin, 28 September 2015.

26 Interview with Roger Madelin, 6 November 2015.

27 Argent St George, Principles for a Human City, July 2001.

28 London Borough of Camden, King’s Cross – Towards an Integrated City, October 2001.

29 London Borough of Camden, King’s Cross – Camden’s Vision, June 2002.

30 A planning authority can refuse a development purely on the grounds of architectural design but this is rarely done. It is considered by many planners to be beyond their remit or expertise to argue a case on design grounds.

31 A subsidiary of LCR.

32 See also Rebecca Allison, ‘Residents fight to block 24-hour work on Channel link’, The Guardian, Monday 12 January 2004. http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/jan/12/london.transport (accessed 23 January 2016).

33 Section 2 of the Local Government Act 2000, includes a power to ‘do anything’ which a local authority considers likely to achieve ‘the promotion or improvement of the economic well-being of their area, of the social well-being of their area, or of the environmental well-being of their area’. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/22/section/2 (accessed 13 April 2016).

34 Inspectors report, February 2004.

35 In theory the Environmental Agency could also force an inquiry, but in practice its remit over the site was too limited.

36 Interview with Steve Hitchins, 26 January 2016.

37 Interview with Jane Roberts, leader of Camden council 2000–05, 21 September and interview with Roger Madelin, 28 September 2015.

38 Interview with Peter Bishop, 29 September 2015.

39 At the time the mayor’s powers were limited to directing that a local planning authority should refuse a planning application, although subsequent powers allow the mayor to intervene and grant planning consent.

40 Interview with Colin Wilson, then principal planning and design officer, now strategic planning manager at the GLA, 17 November 2015.

41 Regional Planning Guidance for the South East, March 2001.

42 Stale Holgersen and Havard Haarstad, ‘Class, Community and Communicative Planning: Urban Redevelopment at King’s Cross, London,’ Antipode vol 41, No 2. (2009):348.

43 KXRLG, 2006, Letter to John Prescott, 29 March. King’s Cross Railway Lands Group, p4.

44 Confidential memorandum from Peter Freeman to the Argent St George development team, 28 June 2000.

45 Confidential memorandum from Peter Freeman to the Argent St George development team, 28 June 2000.

46 Interview with Roger Madelin, 5 November 2015.

5: The masterplan

1 Interview with Demetri Porphyrios, 19 January 2015. ‘classicism is not a style’ (London: Academy Editions, 1982).

2 Camley Street Natural Park, http://www.wildlondon.org.uk/reserves/camley-street-natural-park

3 David Partridge, Introduction to King’s Cross Development Seminar, 28 February 2001.

4 Design Charette notes, 28 February/9 March, 2001.

5 ibid.

6 Giambattista Nolli’s 1748 plan for Rome uses a figureground representation of buildings and depicts the interior of religious and civic buildings as publicly accessible spaces.

7 Design Charette notes, 28 February/9th March, 2001.

8 ibid.

9 Interview with David Partridge, 2 November 2015.

10 The principle of development on a ‘human scale’ had been set out in Principles for a Human City. It has also been championed by the Urban Task Force. Towards an Urban Renaissance, chaired by Richard Rogers, June 1999.

11 Meeting between Camden council, Argent St George and the mayor, 28 September 2001.

12 CABE, letter to Argent St George, March 2002.

13 English Heritage, letter to Argent St George, April 2002.

14 Early in 2004 Argent St George presented its outline scheme to the Victorian Society, stressing the sensitivity of its treatment and expressing its view that it hoped that the Victorians would appreciate its proposals. Apparently, a senior member of the Victorian Society retorted with, ‘no they wouldn’t, the Victorians would have had the balls to tear the whole lot down – that is what made them so great!’ Interview with Roger Madelin, 22 October 2015.

15 Interview with Graham Morrison, 13 February 2015.

16 King’s Cross Conservation Area Advisory Committee, Respecting the Railwaylands, November 2005.

17 Using the criteria of Planning Policy Guidance 15: Planning and the Historic Environment (1990 to 2010) that their loss was outweighed by the significant benefits of the scheme.

18 This is now a single building occupied by Google.

19 This was in response to Camden council representatives to the meeting.

20 Letter from CABE to Argent St George, August 2002.

21 Now part of AECOM.

22 Interview with David Partridge, 2 November 2015.

23 Tim Clarke, ‘Exclusive AJ Interview: Hadid and Schumacher’, Architects Journal, 18 September 2014.

24 Rowan Moore, ‘All Hail the New King’s Cross’, The Observer, The New Review, 19 October 2014, p28.

6: The middle game

1 Interview with Bob West 6 June 2015.

2 Interview with Roger Madelin, 5 October 2015.

3 Ibid.

4 Interview with Richard Kirby, King’s Cross Principal Planning Case Officer, 22 October 2015.

5 London Borough of Camden, Leader’s Briefing Paper, 6 June 2005.

6 Government Office for London (1996) RPG3: Strategic Guidance for London Planning Authorities.

7 It should be noted that the current trend in London under the London Plan is to allocate (extremely high) housing targets to opportunity areas in the expectation that masterplans will have to accommodate them. The impact of this policy on the London skyline and the quality of some of the new neighbourhoods under construction, such as Battersea, Stratford and Blackfriars, is causing growing concern.

8 The idea that socially mixed neighbourhoods are desirable originated in the writings of Jane Jacobs and others. Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities (New York: Random House, 1961); Colomb, C, ‘Urban regeneration and policies of “social mixing” in British cities: a critical assessment’, Architecture, City & Environment/Arquitectura, Ciudad y Entorno (17) 223–244, 2011.

9 Planning Policy Guidance 3: Housing (1992–2006), March 2000, since superseded by Department of Communities and Local Government, Delivering Affordable Housing, November 2006.

10 Under models of shared ownership a tenant rents a part share in a property from an RSL and owns the remainder.

11 Interview with Roger Madelin, 6 November 2015.

12 L Cousins, K Dunmore, M Oxley and A Golland, Affordable Housing in London (London: Greater London Authority, 2001). Commissioned by the Greater London Authority (GLA) from consultants Three Dragons, the report concluded that, assuming the ongoing availability of public subsidy, a 50 per cent affordable housing target was achievable in most 33 London boroughs.

13 In practice, the 50 per cent target has rarely been achieved on the grounds of ‘market viability’.

14 London Borough of Camden, Camden Unitary Development Plan, Deposit Draft, Ch. 13, November 2001.

15 In 2004, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister estimated that Camden had 5,000 overcrowded households. Affordability and the Supply of Housing, Session 2005–06: Select Committee ODPM: Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions, memorandum by the London Borough of Camden (AH 93) House of Commons. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmodpm/703/703we110.htm (accessed 18 November 2015).

16 The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is an independent charity working to inspire social change through research, policy and practice. https://www.jrf.org.uk/?gclid=CNyTyreFi8kCFSgXwwodXDgDtA (accessed 11 November 2015).

17 Average child densities in Camden at the time were 35%. Janet Sutherland, Camden Housing, interview 10 November 2015.

18 Interview with Roger Madelin, 6 November 2015.

19 Standard housing letting policy will not allocate a house to a tenant with rent arrears.

20 Interviews with Roger Madelin and Robert Evans, 6 November 2015.

21 The ‘hoodie test’ was applied to all the streets and spaces in the masterplan. Should a security guard object to an individual’s appearance of behaviour, they would need to walk less than 20 metres to be on a Camden adopted street. In so doing they would be outside of the control of the estate. It was argued that this would make any over-zealous estate management pointless.

22 At the time of writing (December 2015), Camden council had not exercised its right to adopt the street network. The authors consider this to be a serious omission of responsibility on the part of the council. The option will expire once the development is completed.

23 In fact, the Green Party did take this seat in the May 2006 local elections, but it is unlikely that this was linked to the King’s Cross scheme.

24 Camden development control subcommittee report, Para 14.3.30, March 2006.

25 Camden development control subcommittee report, Para 14.3.31, March 2006.

26 Interview with Andre Gibbs, 4 November 2015.

27 Small rooftop turbines, solar thermal, ground source heat pumps and use of biofuel boilers were also part of the package. Camden development control subcommittee report, Para 14.3.32, March 2006.

28 It should be said that TfL has now matured into an effective transport authority.

29 Interview with David Lunts, GLA, 10 November 2015 and interview with Camilla Ween, 24 November 2015. The tram went to the wire with last minute meetings between Argent and TfL lawyers. Before agreeing not to direct refusal to the scheme, Livingstone asked the question as to whether TfL was happy with the compromise arrangements.

30 In 2008, when Argent went back to TfL to agree the operational details, TfL decided it did not want to pursue the offer. Interview with Camilla Ween, 24 November 2015.

31 The provision in the scheme was 0.47 spaces per house. Since the consent was granted the demand for residential parking in central London has dropped dramatically. As a result, Argent has built far less parking – an average of 0.25–0.3 spaces per house.

32 Introduced in 1998, this government-funded programme was aimed at giving children in poor neighbourhoods a better start in life in terms of education, healthcare and family support programmes.

33 N Glass, ‘Sure Start: The Development of an Early Intervention Programme for Young Children in the United Kingdom’, Children and Society, Vol 13, 1999.

34 To emphasise this point, Madelin claims that Argent saw no tangible sign of the £750,000 that they contributed to Islington council for the upgrading of York Way and Copenhagen Street. Interview with Roger Madelin, 5 October 2015.

35 Westminster and Kingsway College provides vocational training for 16–18-year-olds and adults.

36 Interview with Robert Evans, Argent, 6 November 2015.

37 Interview with Robert Evans, Argent, 6 November 2015.

38 Interview with Roger Madelin, 20 October 2015.

39 Now Cushman and Wakefield DTZ.

40 Interview with Robert Evans, Argent, 6 November 2015.

41 Interview with Roger Madelin, 20 October 2015. The main areas where Argent felt it benefited was Camden council’s agreement to fit-out the school and leisure centre. In strict negotiating terms Argent would probably have accepted these costs but there was no planning justification for it to do so.

42 Roger Fisher and William Ury, Getting to Yes (Random House Business Books, 3rd edition, May 2011) and Roger Fisher and Danny Ertel, Getting Ready to Negotiate (Penguin Random House, August 1995).

43 Tanya Alfredson and Azeta Cungu, ‘Negotiation Theory and Practice: A Review of the Literature’, FAO Policy Learning Programme 7, EASYPol Module 17,9 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO, January 2008. http://www.fao.org/docs/up/easypol/550/4–5_nogtiation_background_paper_179en.pdf (5 October 2015).

44 Ibid.

45 Leonard Susskind, Robert H Mnookin, Lukasz Rozdeiczer and Boyd Fuller. ‘What we have learned about teaching multi-party negotiation’, Negotiation Journal 21(3), 2005: 395–408.

46 Interview with Robert Evans, Argent, 6 November 2015.

7: Community consultation

1 The SCI is a statutory document that is part of the local development plan, and was introduced in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. Local authorities must explain in their SCI how the public will be involved in the preparation of local development plan documents. (PPS 12) Camden’s first SCI was adopted in 2006. A revised document was published in July 2011. http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content/environment/planning-and-built-environment/two/planning-policy/local-development-framework/revised-statement-of-community-involvement-2015/ (accessed 27 January 2016).

2 ‘Community Involvement in Planning: The Government’s Objectives’ (2004), para 3.18, p15.

3 Argent, ‘Statement of Community Involvement’, Document 1 – The Story of Argent St George’s Community Consultation on King’s Cross, January 2004, p9.

4 London borough of Camden, King’s Cross Opportunity Area Planning and Development Brief, December, 2004, section 1.5.2 and 1.5.3.

5 London borough of Camden, Key Issues UDP Consultation Paper, July 2001.

6 Argent, Principles for a Human City, July 2001.

7 Argent, Parameters for Regeneration, December 2001.

8 London borough of Camden, King’s Cross Camden’s Vision, June 2002.

9 Argent, A Framework for Regeneration, August 2002.

10 Argent, Framework Findings – an interim report on the consultation response to A Framework for Regeneration (June 2003).

11 London Borough of Camden, Draft Planning and Development Brief for the King’s Cross Opportunity Area, September 2003.

12 London Borough of Camden, Executive Report on King’s Cross Opportunity Area Draft Planning Brief, 3 September 2003.

13 London Borough of Camden, King’s Cross Central, Officer Report, 2004, Paras 3.2.16–3.2.21.

14 Argent, Statement of Community Involvement, Document 1 – The Story of Argent St George’s Community Consultation on King’s Cross, January 2004, p9.

15 Camden council did not archive the consultation reports when it moved to its new offices in 2014.

16 Robert Evans, ‘Planning and the People Problem’, Journal of Planning Law, Issue 13, 2008, p92, and interview with Robert Evans, 20 November 2015.

17 Top in the analysis of consultations by Fluid were ‘safe’ and ‘clean’ new spaces.

18 London Borough of Camden, King’s Cross Central, Officer Report, 2004, Paras 3.2.25–3.2.61.

19 Local schools were engaged through a consultation game, Urban Carpet, developed by architectural agency Leitwerk Ltd.

20 Statutory consultees for planning applications are: British Waterways, Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, Civil Aviation Authority, Department for Transport, Environment Agency, English Heritage, Garden History Society, Health and Safety Executive, Highways Agency, Greater London Authority and Transport for London, Natural England, National Amenity Societies (including Ancient Monuments Society, the Council for British Archaeology, the Georgian Group, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, the Victorian Society and Twentieth Century Society), National Air Control Transport Services and Operators of Officially Safeguarded Civil Aerodromes, Rail Network Operators, Sport England and Theatres Trust.

21 Planning Aid for London is an independent service which offers an advice and information service using volunteers – qualified planners and legal specialists.

22 Argent (King’s Cross) Ltd, Revised Development Specification, Annex F, Main Site Revised Development Specification, Summary of Scheme Revisions and Refinements, September 2005. https://www.kingscross.co.uk/media/Main_Site_Rev_Develop_Spec.pdf (accessed 28 November 2015).

23 KXCAAC, Respecting the Railwaylands, King’s Cross Conservation Area Advisory Committee, November 2005.

24 Interview with David Partridge, managing partner of Argent, 2 November 2015.

25 Robert Evans, ‘Planning and the People Problem’, Journal of Planning Law, Issue 13, 2008, p92.

26 Email correspondence with Michael Edwards, 5 May 2015.

27 Squatters occupying the Stanley and Culross Buildings had vacated the site prior to Argent’s appointment in 2000. Interview with Roger Madelin, 20 October 2015.

28 See https://kxdf.wordpress.com/category/purpose-/

29 KXRLG ‘King’s Cross Development Forum,’ Network, Summer 2005, p3.

30 Phil Allemendinger, New Labour and Planning: From New Right to New Left (London: Routledge, 2011, pp70–76 and 85–89.

31 Government Office for London, Strategic Guidance for London Planning Authorities, Regional Planning Guidance (RPG3), May 1996.

32 Planning Inspectorate, Inspector’s Report, Chapter 13 – King’s Cross Opportunity Area.

33 Mayor of London, The London Plan, 2004, Para 5.37.

34 Interview with Michael Edwards (Bartlett School, University College and Member of KXRLG), 19 March 2015.

35 M Edwards, K MacDonald, P Newman and A Thornley, ‘A vision for London,’ The Crisis of London, ed. A Thornley (London: Routledge, 1992, pp185–201).

36 Stale Holgersen and Havard Haarstad, ‘Class, Community and Communicative Planning: Urban Redevelopment at King’s Cross, London’, Antipode Vol 41, No 2, 2009, pp348–370.

37 London Borough of Camden, King’s Cross Central Development – Initial Survey of Consultation Results (London: London Borough of Camden, 2005) p9.

38 At Coin Street, land had been vested with a community-owned development trust (Coin Street Community Builders) by the Greater London Council in 1986.

39 T Brindley, Community Roles in Urban Regeneration: New Partnerships on London’s South Bank, City 4(3), 2000, pp363–377, Cited in: Michael Edwards, ‘King’s Cross: renaissance for whom?’, in Urban Design, Urban Renaissance and British Cities, ed. John Punter, London: Routledge, Chapter 11. Reproduced by permission of Taylor & Francis Books UK.

40 Phil Allemendinger, New Labour and Planning: From New Right to New Left, Routledge, London, 2011, pp70–76 and 85–89.

41 Interview with Michael Edwards (Bartlett School, University College and Member of KXRLG), 19 March 2015.

42 ibid.

43 ibid.

44 Michael Edwards, ‘King’s Cross: renaissance for whom?’, in Urban Design, Urban Renaissance and British Cities, ed. John Punter, London: Routledge, 2009, Chapter 11. Reproduced by permission of Taylor & Francis Books UK.

45 Interview with Michael Edwards (Bartlett School, University College and Member of KXRLG), 19 March 2015.

46 Government Office for London, London Councils and London First (supported by Argent, British Land and London Communications Agency), Connecting Councillors with Strategic Planning Applications: A Good Practice Guide for London, November 2007.

47 Barker Review of Land Use Planning Final Report, December 2006, para 5.16. This aimed to achieve an improved framework for the delivery of major infrastructure projects, a simpler national policy framework and decision-making processes focused on outcomes. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/228605/0118404857.pdf (accessed 28 January 2016).

48 Local Spatial Planning, Planning Policy Statement 12, June 2008, advocates local planning authorities and others working together in this way.

49 Robert Evans, ‘Planning and the People Problem’, Journal of Planning Law, Issue 13, 2008, p95.

50 Community Involvement in Planning: The Government’s Objectives (2004).

51 Phil Allemendinger, New Labour and Planning: From New Right to New Left, London: Routledge, 2011, pp70–76 and 85–89.

8: The decision

1 The practice is less clearcut. There have been many cases of councils where a new council political administration has had a clear-out of its senior officers. The checks and balances that exist at central government level are weaker at local level.

2 The Widdecombe Report, The Conduct of Local Authority Business, London: HMSO, 1986.

3 Interview with Anne Doherty, head of planning at Camden council (2002–11), 5 November 2015.

4 The problem had surfaced when it was discovered that the south portico had been rebuilt in the wrong limestone. Although clearly noticeable, the question was whether it would be in the public interest for Camden to take enforcement action to try to have it demolished and rebuilt. This action would have closed the Great Court for a lengthy period and would have cost the museum a considerable amount of money. As it was, legal advice confirmed that the precise wording of the planning consent was not precise enough to guarantee that Camden council would have won the case.

5 Michael Edwards, ‘We need a rethink over KX’, Camden New Journal, 22 February 2007, p24.

6 Interview with Michael Edwards (Bartlett School, University College and Member of KXRLG), 19 March 2015.

7 GOL, London Councils and London First, supported by Argent, British Land and London Communications Agency, Connecting Councillors with Strategic Planning Applications: A Good Practice Guide for London, November 2007.

8 Barker Review of Land Use Planning, final report, December 2006, para 5.16.

9 Nolan Report, Third Report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, July 1997.

10 White Paper Modern Local Government in Touch with Local People, July 1998.

11 GOL, London Councils and London First, Connecting Councillors with Strategic Planning Applications: A Good Practice Guide for London, November 2007.

12 Robert Evans, ‘Planning and the People Problem’, Journal of Planning Law, Issue 13, 2008.

13 The Camden Labour Party, separate from the council.

14 Interview with Dr Jane Roberts DBE, 21 September 2015.

15 The Camden New Journal was a source of many critical articles about the council. Its coverage on King’s Cross was initially relatively neutral but later became hostile.

16 Since this period, successive chairs of the subcommittee have taken a completely different line. The committee, at the time of writing (2015) chaired by councillor Heather Johnson, is well-informed of current major applications through: briefings with developers, often in open public meetings; pre-meeting briefings of the committee, with developer presentations and plans; quarterly officer briefing on all major ‘live’ applications; regular email updates on specific high-profile schemes; telephone and other informal conversations between the chair and officers as required.

17 It was not possible to interview Brian Woodrow for this book, as he died in May 2015.

18 In an interview with councillor Sue Vincent, 26 October 2015, she recalled a rumour (untrue) that was circulating at the time that senior planning officers had been on holiday with Argent staff. This deliberately scurrilous rumour was intended to undermine the integrity of senior council officers.

19 Interview with Sue Vincent, 26 October 2015.

20 Ed Dorrell, ‘King’s Cross future under threat’, Architects’ Journal, 2 September 2004, p4.

21 ‘(…) other Labour groups in London would not have tolerated this behavior and would have removed him from the subcommittee’, interview with Jane Roberts, 21 September 2015.

22 All the dates and quotes are taken from the decision letter of the Adjudication Panel for England, 20 December 2006.

23 The Adjudication Panel for England, Decision Report, Case Ref: APE 0352 Hearing Date: 25, 26 October and 12, 13 December 2006.

24 Interview with Sue Vincent, 26 October 2015.

25 Interview with Dr Jane Roberts DBE, 21 September 2015.

26 On 22 September 2004.

27 Letter from Roger Madelin to Moira Gibbs, chief executive of Camden, 12 November 2004.

28 The council’s monitoring officer, usually the borough solicitor, has specific powers to intervene, irrespective of any political mandate, in the event of wrongdoing or inappropriate behaviour.

29 Councillor Woodrow’s case was eventually heard by the Standards Board in October and December 2006. Its decision letter of the 20 December concluded that, ‘the breach is at the low end of seriousness […] taking into account that he concedes with the benefit of hindsight that he would not again behave in the way he did’. The tribunal decided to impose no sanction, but since the planning decision had been taken eight months earlier, this was no longer of relevance.

30 Interview with Sue Vincent, 26 October 2015.

31 Camden New Journal, 2 March 2006.

32 Interview with Theo Blackwell, 2 October 2015.

33 The anti-social behaviour order was introduced in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. It was a civil order made against a person who had been shown to have engaged in anti-social behaviour, and was designed to correct minor incidents that would not ordinarily warrant criminal prosecution, through restricting behaviour, eg by prohibiting a return to a certain area.

34 An internal inquiry had concluded that councillor Woodrow should take no part in the decision-making process.

35 ‘SOKX! (Save our King’s Cross)’, Camden New Journal, 9 March 2006.

36 Interview with Mike Greene, 22 October 2015.

37 ibid.

38 Interview with Heather Johnson, 25 September 2015.

39 This was largely due to the political fallout from the Iraq war and a focused, and a not entirely accurate Liberal Democrat campaign to save Kentish Town Baths from closure (Labour never planned to close the Baths!). Labour lost six local seats to the Liberal Democrats, who were able to form a coalition with the Conservatives.

40 It was seen as Bishop’s personal project. After the borough solicitor, Bishop was apparently ‘second on the Conservative’s list of officers to remove’, but the briefing convinced the Conservatives that they could work with him. Interview with Mike Greene, 22 October 2015.

41 Under the The Civil Procedure (Amendment No 4) rules, 2013, which came into force in July 2013, the time limit for filing a claim has been reduced from three months to six weeks. http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2013/june/reforms-to-cut-the-judicial-review-period-will-come-into-force-next-month/ (accessed 25 October 2015).

42 Richard Osley, ‘Round one to King’s Cross Refuseniks’, Camden New Journal, 29 March 2007. http://www.thecnj.com/camden/032907/news032907_09.html (accessed 25 October 2015).

43 Interview with Robert Evans, Argent, 6 November 2015.

44 Richard Osley, ‘High Court to Test King’s Cross Plan’, Camden New Journal, 15 February 2007, p2.

45 R (on the application of AFP King’s Cross Railway Lands Group) v London Borough of Camden Administrative Court (Sullivan J), judgement by Mr Justice Sullivan in the High Court of Justice Queen’s Bench Division, Administrative Court, EWHC 1515 (Admin), 25 May 2007.

46 Planning Policy Statement 3: Housing, PPS3 replaced previous government policy guidance in DETR Circular 6 of 98: Planning and Affordable Housing, and Planning Policy Guidance 3: Housing (PPG3), November 2006.

47 Judgement by Mr Justice Sullivan in the High Court of Justice Queen’s Bench Division, Administrative Court, EWHC 1515 (Admin), 25 May 2007.

48 Michael Edwards, ‘Think Again on King’s Cross? No Chance!’ Network, KXRLG October 2008, p6. http://www.kxrlg.org.uk/group/Network.Oct2008.pdf (accessed 6 July 2015).

49 The only exception to this was the Arsenal development that went to full council.

50 Interview with Steve Hitchins, 26 January 2016.

51 Phil Allemendinger, New Labour and Planning: From New Right to New Left (London: Routledge, 2011), pp70–76 and 85–89.

52 ‘Planning Inspectorate Report on Triangle Site’, 16 May 2008, case APP/X5210/A/07/2051898, paragraph 7.2. http://www.kxrlg.org.uk/inquiry/08–07-22InspectorReport.pdf (accessed 14 November 2015).

53 Interview with Heather Johnson, chair of Camden development control subcommittee, 25 September 2015.

9: Building King’s Cross Central

1 Peter Bishop left Camden council in 2007, therefore the narrative in Chapter 9 relies on interviews with Camden’s current planning officers and with the developer.

2 Vacant possession is the right of a purchaser to exclusive use of a property on completion of the sale, any previous occupant having moved out.

3 The Transport Act, 1947.

4 Architect John McAslan + Partners’ canopy took its geometry from the Great Northern Hotel and its structural support from a single piling point by the station. An arcade was constructed on the ground floor of the hotel to address a pinch point next to the taxi rank and allow a public thoroughfare when the station was closed. English Heritage approved the scheme (see Chapter 5).

5 And in accordance with the recommendations of The Fennell Report, Secretary of State for Transport, November 1988.

6 Interview with Michael Hurn, 23 October 2015.

7 Interview with Robert Evans, Argent, 21 October 2015.

8 The scheme is being developed by the King’s Cross Central Limited Partnership (KCCP). This comprises: Argent (owning 50 per cent through Argent King’s Cross Limited Partnership), London and Continental Railways Limited (LCR), with a 36.5 per cent interest; and DHL Supply Chain (formerly Exel), with a 13.5 per cent stake. In January 2016, LCR sold its stake to an Australian pension fund.

9 The Central London Partnership was a non-profit organisation that acted as a facilitator bringing the public and private sectors together to improve central London.

10 Interview with Roger Madelin, 6 November 2015.

11 The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the government’s Department for Communities and Local Government. It regulates social housing providers and helps create successful communities by making more homes and business premises available. https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/homes-and-communities-agency (accessed 14 November 2015).

12 Planning performance agreements, now common practice, are agreed voluntarily between an applicant and the local planning authority prior to the application being submitted. They can be a useful focus of pre-application discussions, and for agreeing timetables. A charge can be made by the local planning authority on the developer to cover staff cost. www.planningportal.gov.uk (accessed 25 October 2015).

13 Argent St George, Principles for a Human City, July 2001.

14 This section is based on an interview with Anna Strongman, Argent, 30 October 2015.

15 Michael Pinsky and Stephanie Delcroix. http://delcroixpinsky.com/projects/relay/ (accessed 31 October 2015).

16 Identified Flying Object by Jacques Rival. http://delcroixpinsky.com/projects/relay/jacques-rival/ (accessed 31 October 2015).

17 Across the Buildings. http://delcroixpinsky.com/projects/relay/felicevarini/ (accessed 31 October 2015).

18 Of Soil and Water: King’s Cross Pond Club, designed by architects Ooze (Eva Pfannes and Sylvain Hartenberg) and artist Marjetica Potrč. http://delcroixpinsky.com/projects/relay/marjetica-potrc-ooze/ (accessed 31 October 2015).

19 Skip Garden. https://www.kingscross.co.uk/skip-garden (accessed 31 October 2015).

20 It is part-funded by the Big Lottery Fund, and the site and materials have been provided by KCCP, BAM Nuttall, Carillion and Kier.

21 Skip Garden Kitchen. https://www.kingscross.co.uk/skip-garden-kitchen (accessed 31 October 2015).

22 This section is based on an interview with Anne Hughes, centre director, King’s Cross Recruit, 18 November 2015.

23 This was a later amendment to the planning permission (2010) and is located outside the St Paul’s Viewing Corridor.

24 Urban Land Institute Case Study: King’s Cross – London, United Kingdom, July 2014. http://uli.org/case-study/uli-case-study-kings-cross-london-united-kingdom/

25 The planning permission had in fact expired in 2003 and in theory Camden council could have taken enforcement action to have had it demolished. In advance of its replacement this would not have been popular with rail passengers.

26 Estate agents in Islington are now referring to properties in up-market Barnsbury as ‘King’s Cross borders’, a proximity that they would have denied vehemently less than five years previously.

27 King’s Place includes two new concert halls, two art galleries, a bar, café and restaurant, and seven floors of office space currently occupied by The Guardian newpaper.

28 Interview with Frances Wheat, assistant director regeneration and planning for Camden council, 23 October 2015.

10: Conclusions

1 The KCCP is expending around £1.25 million a day in King’s Cross and is likely to continue at this rate for the next three years. Interview with David Partridge, 2 November 2015.

2 Jones Lang LaSalle, Occupier Survey, August 2015.

3 World Bank, IBRD, IDA, King’s Cross Regeneration Program, London, United Kingdom – Relevance to the Chinese Railway Sector. Hiroaki Suzuki, Jin Murakami, Yu-Hung Hong and Beth Tamayose, Financing Transit-Oriented Development with Land Values, World Bank Group, Urban Development Series 93686, 2015, pp147–157. http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/IW3P/IB/2015/01/14/000406484_20150114091425/Rendered/PDF/936860PUB00ISB0TransportDevLV0final.pdf (accessed 25 November 2015).

4 Interview with Peter Freeman, 20 November 2015.

5 This is impossible to calculate with any accuracy but over the six years probably amounted to over £3 million.

6 Interview with Robert Evans, Argent, 20 November 2015.

7 Rowan Moore, ‘All Hail the New King’s Cross’, The Observer, The New Review, 19 October 2014, pp28 and 29.

8 Roger Madelin, email, 23 November 2015.

9 Pete Jefferys, ‘The Affordable Homes Programme 2015–2020: Policy Briefing Note’, Shelter. https://england.shelter.org.uk/professional_resources/policy_and_research/policy_library/policy_library_folder/policy_brief_affordable_homes_programme (accessed 30 November 2015).

10 Mayor of London, ‘Can housing associations afford affordable housing?’ 18 November 2015. https://www.london.gov.uk/media/assembly-press-releases/2015/11/can-housing-associations-afford-affordable-housing (accessed 30 November 2015).

11 The Growth and Infrastructure Act (26 April 2013) – Affordable Housing Modification (clause 7). http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/27/contents/enacted (accessed 30 November 2015).

12 Nick Mathiason, Will Fitzgibbon, George Turner, ‘The Housing Crisis Thousands of affordable homes axed’, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2013/09/18/thousands-of-affordable-homes-axed// (accessed 30 November 2015).

13 Housing and Planning Bill, Second Reading, 2 November 2015.

14 Danielle Aumord, ‘How has England fared in building affordable homes for rent?’ The Guardian, 5 November 2015. http://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2015/nov/05/england-building-affordable-homes-rent-section-106 (accessed 30 November 2015).

15 Interview with Robert Evans, Argent, 20 November 2015 – calculation based on 8 million square feet gross floor space at £10 per square foot.

16 Judith Evans, ‘King’s Cross Redevelopment Stake Sold by Government to Pension Fund for £371m’, Financial Times, 16 January 2016.

Summary of the section 106 agreement

11: Development data and financial information

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Table of Contents for
Notes

Notes

1: Introduction

2: The planning and development process

3: History and development context

4: Establishing the framework for negotiations

5: The masterplan

6: The middle game

7: Community consultation

8: The decision

9: Building King’s Cross Central

10: Conclusions

Summary of the section 106 agreement

11: Development data and financial information

Table of Contents for Notes

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Notes

1: Introduction

2: The planning and development process

3: History and development context

4: Establishing the framework for negotiations

5: The masterplan

6: The middle game

7: Community consultation

8: The decision

9: Building King’s Cross Central

10: Conclusions

Summary of the section 106 agreement

11: Development data and financial information

Table of Contents for
Notes