Camden ‘Steamroller’ Housing Row in Kentish Town 2026

Key Points

• Camden Council has approved two affordable housing schemes under its “Homes for Small Sites” programme in Kentish Town, despite significant resident objections.
• First scheme: 10 social rent homes on a car park adjacent to Haddo House in Highgate Road.
• Second scheme: 18 new homes (seven at social rent, 11 at affordable rents) replacing garages on Raglan Street estate, including four-storey building and gates to address anti-social behaviour.
• Planning committee voted unanimously on March 11 to proceed, following resident criticisms of designs, heights, materials, and consultation process.
• Raglan Street estate saw about 50 objections from residents and local groups.
• Highgate Road scheme faced around 70 objections, focusing on six-storey height and design jutting beyond Haddo House.
• Residents support need for affordable housing but decry “overbearing” designs, poor consultation, and feeling “walked over.”
• Chair of Raglan TRA, Andrew St John, accused councillors of moving goalposts, lying, changing facts, and pursuing own agenda.
• Raglan resident Kate Barker highlighted overshadowing, domineering mass, late technical document on light impact, and lack of meaningful consultation.
• Highgate Road estate vice chair Foulla Pashkaj called process a “done deal,” wasting two years of meetings and treating residents like “pawns for your CVs.”
• Camden Council states programme builds affordable homes on underused land; pre-application consultation occurred with feedback incorporated where possible, leading to 28 new council homes from first two approvals.
• Meeting held before planning committee decision; council claims regular opportunities for feedback over years, including local area improvements.

(North London News), April 3, 2026 – Residents in Kentish Town have accused Camden Council of “steamrollering” affordable housing plans through their estates, ignoring public feedback despite unanimous planning committee approval for two schemes under the “Homes for Small Sites” programme.

The developments will deliver 28 new council homes: 10 social rent homes on a car park next to Haddo House in Highgate Road, and 18 homes – including seven at social rent – replacing garages on Raglan Street estate. While locals broadly back more housing, they slammed the designs, heights, and consultation as a “kick in the teeth,” with Chair of Raglan Tenants’ and Residents’ Association (TRA) Andrew St John telling councillors: “You move goalposts, sometimes you lie, you change facts, you pretend to consult while all the time it just seems you’re pursuing your own agenda. It feels like you’re walking over local people. I say, no wonder the people round here feel democracy doesn’t work.”

Speaking to the New Journal after the verdict, Mr St John clarified no one he knew opposed social housing but objected to the “overbearing design, pink and grey brick material and how the council engaged with local people.” He added:

“It feels like there’s a way they could have done it that left us all feeling OK about it. Instead, it’s a kick in the teeth,”

and claimed many feel “Labour are not for working people,” paving the way for “probably the scariest government ever in this country.” He urged: “Please, just listen to us – please don’t treat us like we’re dirt.”

What Are the Details of the Raglan Street Estate Development?

The Raglan Street scheme, objected to by some 50 residents and local groups as reported by the New Journal, replaces garages with a four-storey building of seven social rent homes and 11 at so-called affordable rents. It includes gates around the estate, which current residents supported to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Raglan Street resident Kate Barker, whose house will be overshadowed, told the New Journal:

“I felt really crushed by the decision. Everybody has said we totally accept the need for more affordable homes, we don’t object to building here in principle. But it’s the height – the mass of it is really domineering. If they put in something three-storey with a dormer roof, people wouldn’t be objecting.”

Ms Barker detailed procedural flaws, noting a technical document on the light impact was uploaded to the online portal just days before the March 11 decision meeting.

“It felt like they were trying to push this through the back door without scrutiny. The consultation wasn’t meaningful in any way. People feel that Camden is just steamrollering these plans through. It’s really the process, I think,”

she said.

Why Did Highgate Road Residents Object So Strongly?

The Highgate Road scheme faced around 70 objections, criticising the six-storey height and design that juts out beyond the front of Haddo House, according to New Journal coverage. In an email to councillors post-decision, Highgate Road estate vice chair Foulla Pashkaj wrote they “should be embarrassed” by the handling.

“Two years of meetings, consultations, and promises, all wasted. From the start this appears to have been a done deal and residents were treated like pawns for your CVs,”

she added.

Residents argued the car park adjacent to Haddo House was underused but the proposed building’s scale overwhelmed the area, echoing themes from Raglan Street of feeling sidelined.

How Did Camden Council Respond to the Criticisms?

A Camden Council spokesperson defended the “New Homes for Small Sites Programme,” stating it “aims to build affordable homes on underused council land for residents on our housing waiting list.” They noted:

“The first two planning applications under this programme were recently approved which is set to build 28 new council homes.”

On consultation, the spokesperson said:

“A pre-application consultation was carried out by Camden’s Community Investment Partnership team before the applications were submitted. Over several years, residents had regular opportunities to share feedback on the proposals with changes made in response where possible, including improvements to the local area.”

This marks the programme’s first approvals, targeting social rent and affordable options amid London’s housing crisis.

What Is the Broader Context of Camden’s Small Sites Programme?

Camden Council’s initiative scans council-owned plots for infill development, prioritising underused spaces like car parks and garages. The Kentish Town schemes exemplify this, converting spaces into desperately needed homes – 10 fully social rent at Highgate Road and a mix on Raglan Street.

Supporters see it as vital for waiting list families, but detractors, as voiced at the March 11 meeting, question if the rush compromises quality and democracy. The unanimous vote proceeded despite outcry, fuelling claims of a “small sites steamroller.”

Who Supported the Gates on Raglan Street and Why?

Current Raglan Street residents favoured the estate gates in the plans, viewing them as a win against anti-social behaviour. This detail, highlighted in New Journal reporting, shows not all elements drew fire – only the building’s mass, materials like pink and grey brick, and process.

How Long Has Consultation Been Ongoing?

Ms Pashkaj’s email referenced

“two years of meetings, consultations, and promises,”

while the council claimed “over several years” of feedback chances. Pre-application work by the Community Investment Partnership preceded submissions, with adjustments like local improvements made “where possible.”

Yet residents like Ms Barker felt it lacked scrutiny, especially with late documents, painting a picture of mismatched expectations.

What Do Residents Say About Labour Councillors?

Mr St John linked local gripes to national politics, saying:

“[Labour councillors] are just paving the way for probably the scariest government ever in this country, in my opinion.”

He and others portrayed the council as out of touch with working people, prioritising agendas over input.

Ms Barker focused locally: “Camden is just steamrollering these plans through,” without party barbs but echoing disenfranchisement.

Why Do Designs Face Such Backlash?

Critics targeted “overbearing” heights – four storeys at Raglan, six at Highgate Road – plus aesthetics. Ms Barker suggested a three-storey with dormer as less contentious. Mr St John decried pink and grey brick as unsuitable, arguing better designs could have built consensus.

The Highgate Road build’s protrusion beyond Haddo House amplified visual dominance concerns.

What Happens Next for These Schemes?

With planning approval secured unanimously on March 11, construction timelines remain unspecified in available reports. The 28 homes advance Camden’s housing goals, but fallout from perceived poor process may linger, potentially affecting future consultations.

Residents like Mr St John, Ms Barker, and Ms Pashkaj signal ongoing distrust, urging genuine listening.

Is This Part of a Larger Housing Push in Camden?

Yes, the “Homes for Small Sites” scans borough-wide for plots, aiming to boost social and affordable stock amid crisis. These first two approvals set precedent, balancing need against local impacts – though at what cost to community trust?

The New Journal‘s coverage, drawing from the meeting and post-verdict interviews, underscores tensions in Labour-run Camden’s ambitions versus resident rights.