Key Points
- Camden Council’s planning committee has resolved to grant planning permission for 16 new council homes in Camden Town.
- The housing development will be built on a former disused car park located on Hadley Street.
- The project forms part of Camden Council’s New Homes for Small Sites Programme, which focuses on constructing affordable housing on underused, council-owned land.
- The scheme consists of a mix of flats and maisonettes across two separate buildings, accommodating various family sizes.
- Property breakdowns include seven one-bedroom properties (two of which are fully wheelchair accessible), three two-bedroom properties, five three-bedroom properties, and one four-bedroom family house.
- Associated neighborhood improvements include new lighting, a green courtyard with herb gardens, and secure storage facilities for local residents.
- Councillor Nasrine Djemai emphasized that the development aims to ease local housing pressures and address the borough’s extensive council housing waitlist.
Camden Town (North London News) November 5, 2026 – Camden Council’s planning committee has officially resolved to grant planning permission for the construction of 16 new council homes on Hadley Street in Camden Town. Delivered as part of the local authority’s ambitious New Homes for Small Sites Programme, the scheme targets underutilised council-owned assets to help mitigate the borough’s ongoing housing shortages and support families currently residing on the local housing waiting list.
What Are the Key Details of the Approved Hadley Street Development?
As detailed in official project documentation released by Camden Council, the new development will replace a disused car park on Hadley Street with a mix of flats and maisonettes arranged across two purpose-built structures.
To address diverse demographic needs within the community, the scheme encompasses a range of housing sizes:
- One-bedroom properties: 7 units (including two fully wheelchair-accessible units)
- Two-bedroom properties: 3 units
- Three-bedroom properties: 5 units
- Four-bedroom family properties: 1 unit
In addition to housing construction, the planning permission mandates environmental and infrastructural upgrades to the immediate surroundings. Planned enhancements feature upgraded street lighting, secure resident storage, and a new green courtyard complete with dedicated herb gardens and communal planting areas.
How Does Camden Council Plan to Tackle Local Housing Pressures?
According to statements issued by municipal representatives, the development represents a key deliverable within Camden’s wider strategy to maximize public land utility. As quoted in official communications from Camden Council, Councillor Nasrine Djemai, Cabinet Member for New Homes and Community Investment, stated that:
“In Camden, we are doing everything we can to build more council homes to help ease housing pressures and support the thousands of people on our housing waitlist. As part of this, our New Homes for Small Sites Programme aims to work with our communities to find under-used council land which could be used for affordable council housing.”
Councillor Djemai further highlighted the broader community impact of the project, adding that:
“This development on Hadley Street is another step in our work to build a new generation of council homes. Alongside these 16 new council homes, we are delivering estate improvements asked for by the community, enhancing the local area and helping our residents thrive both now and in the future.”
What Is the Background of Camden’s Small Sites Programme?
The approval of the Hadley Street development marks a continued effort by Camden Council to utilise infill development sites across the borough. Like many central London local authorities, Camden faces significant challenges regarding land availability, high private sector rental costs, and a lengthy waitlist for social housing.
To combat these structural hurdles, Camden Council launched its New Homes for Small Sites Programme alongside its broader Community Investment Programme (CIP). The initiative specifically identifies small, brownfield, or underused parcels of council land—such as redundant garages, disused car parks, and vacant care structures—and repurposes them into 100% council-owned or genuinely affordable residential properties. By redeveloping smaller footprints, the local authority seeks to add housing capacity without requiring large-scale land acquisitions or displacing existing residential communities.
What Does This Development Mean for Local Residents and the Community?
The planning resolution for Hadley Street carries direct implications for several primary audiences within the Borough of Camden:
- Housing Applicants on the Waiting List: For individuals and larger families currently registered on Camden’s council housing register, the provision of 16 social housing units—particularly multi-bedroom family homes and fully accessible wheelchair units—offers direct relief and allocation opportunities in a high-demand inner London location.
- Hadley Street and Camden Town Residents: Local residents in the immediate vicinity of Hadley Street can expect a physical transformation of a former brownfield site. The inclusion of improved lighting, dedicated communal green spaces, and herb gardens aims to enhance local security and neighborhood aesthetics.
- Local Municipal Strategy: The successful planning approval signals to local taxpayers and housing advocates that small-scale infill models remain a viable blueprint for urban social housing delivery across densely populated boroughs in London.
