Camden Council Election, 2022

 

Here are the results from the recent Council election on May 5th. Congratulations to all the winners. The three South Camden wards were safe Labour seats, and the neighbouring West End ward (including the western edge of Fitzrovia) is now held by Labour too.

 

For more details, read https://fitzrovianews.com/2022/05/06/an-overwhelming-and-sometimes-surprising-victory-for-labour-in-camden/

 

The results for all Camden's wards can be read here:

https://www.camden.gov.uk/local-council-elections-5-may-2022-results

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All three South Camden wards have changed their boundaries, with Bloomsbury expanding east and south, and Kings Cross has expanded to north of the Euston Road.

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BLOOMSBURY

 

Sabrina Francis, Labour Party Candidate,  1411 votes [2018: 983 votes]

Adam Harrison, Labour Party Candidate,  1,346 votes [2018: 1,045 votes]

Rishi Madlani, Labour Party Candidate: 1269 votes [921 votes]

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TURNOUT       30.2 %      In 2018 the Turnout was 31.7%

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RESULT of all candidates for BLOOMSBURY

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HOLBORN & COVENT GARDEN

Julian Fulbrook, Labour Party Candidate, 1,807 votes [2018: 1,716 votes]

Sue Vincent, Labour Party Candidate, 1,779 votes [2018: 1,705 votes]

Awale Olad, Labour Party Candidate, 1,686 votes: [2018: 1,604 votes]

 

TURNOUT       32.9%.  In 2018 the Turnout was 37.5%

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RESULT of all candidates for HOLBORN & COVENT GARDEN

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KINGS CROSS

Lotis Bautista Labour Party Candidate, 1,317 votes

Liam Martin-Lane, Labour Party Candidate, 1,256 votes

Jonathan Simpson, Labour Party Candidate, 1,205 votes [2018: 1,191votes]

 

TURNOUT       27.4%.  In 2018 the Turnout was 37.5%

 

RESULT of all candidates for KINGS CROSS

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The turnout was noticeably low in all three South Camden wards, particularly Kings Cross. Maybe it was because it was a sunny day and people had other, more important, things to do. Or was it because people didn’t know who to vote for? Or perhaps it was a deliberate choice - they didn’t want to vote. Perhaps there is a real lack of trust in the efficacy of local politics. Do residents think that electing a local councillor is irrelevant these days?

 

People are also becoming increasingly aware that local decisions have their origin in government policy, so that although Camden is a Labour council, joined by Westminster, now also in Labour control, how much power do they really have to effect change? 

 

See Save Bloomsbury's latest blog. Will Anything Change?

 

Planning and Construction in South Camden

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In terms of planning issues, the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) brought in by the Tories in 2012 to make the planning process less cumbersome, has at its heart the "presumption in favour of sustainable development". As a result, it seems that as long as there is an appropriately large financial incentive, and the benefits of “sustainability” can be argued successfully, South Camden will continue to be the location for large scale development.

 

Locally there are at least three developments in the pipeline, waiting for Camden’s planning approval.

 

This is the link to Camden’s Planning Portal:

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Then insert the Application reference number for the detailed information.

 

Selkirk House in Museum Street, is still worth campaigning against due to its impact on the Bloomsbury Conservation Area, as well as the quality of life of the many residents who live nearby in Bloomsbury and Covent Garden. How can demolishing and re-building the Travelodge tower (increasing height and mass) be considered beneficial on sustainability grounds is a mystery.

Application number: 2021/2954/P

 

The scale of the proposed new extension to the British Library is massive and principally a speculative office development to serve the Knowledge Quarter. https://blextension.co.uk/

 

Application number: 2022/1041/P. (the statutory comments period closed 1.5.22)

 

Guinness have chosen a complex of buildings owned by The Mercers Company between Long Acre and Shelton Street where they propose to install a ‘brewing experience’, restaurant, bar, events space and an al fresco food & drink court. This will impact on people who live in the neighbourhood of Shelton St, Langley St, Neal St & Mercer Walk. For information see The Covent Garden Community Association’s website.

 

In Judd Street the former RNIB building, an Edwardian purpose-built office building is due to be refurbished, adding two extra floors to its height. The reason: to provide  life sciences space for Knowledge Quarter tenants. To do this requires 25% of the building to be demolished. Is this really sustainable development? Needless to say it is the surrounding residential community who will suffer the noise and nuisance of demolition and construction.

 

Application number: 2022/1817/P   (Comments close on 30 May)

 

Camden Town Hall, also in Judd Street, which has been extensively refurbished  is almost finished.

But as soon as one building project finishes, another starts.

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