Labour insist move will save costs, as new Camden Town Hall is unveiled
Published: 04 August 2011
by RICHARD OSLEY
THIS is the first glimpse of what Camden Council’s new headquarters in King’s Cross could look like.
The move to a new office block, which will sit opposite St Pancras International, has been criticised at a time when the Town Hall is cutting staff numbers and hacking back public services. The risk of a possible public relations disaster remains of great concern to several Labour councillors who tried to persuade their party’s bosses to drop the scheme during internal rows earlier this year.
But council leaders insist that setting up in a new base will actually save money. A collection of old buildings will be sold including the “annexe” offices in King’s Cross. Officials say the repair bills for that building are too costly, coming in at £340,000 last year.
A sweetener for the sceptics is that the new building – its address will be known as Three Pancras Square – will include new swimming baths on the ground floor.
Leading the hard sell is Labour finance chief Councillor Theo Blackwell, who was talking up the benefits as a round of contracts were signed with developers King’s Cross Central Limited Partnership (KCCLP) this week.
“For more than 20 years, the council has driven the regeneration of King’s Cross,” he said.
“With this new building we will be an active and permanent part of it, linking the largest inner city development in western Europe with the rest of the borough.”
He added: “The new offices are part of a long-term programme to lower the cost of running services. The new building in King’s Cross will give us the opportunity to reduce the amount of taxpayers’ money we spend on council offices. We will also secure the benefits we negotiated in King’s Cross, delivering a brand new two-pool public sports centre, central customer service centre and a new library for the local community.”
Along with the annexe, the bubble brick building next to the main Town Hall that was built in the 1970s, the Crowndale Centre and council sites in West End Lane, West Hampstead, and St Pancras Way, Camden Town, will be sold. It is argued by the leader of the opposition, Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Keith Moffitt, that other areas of Camden could feel neglected if all council business is concentrated in King’s Cross.
“It’s good news that this building will be one of the most environmentally friendly council offices in the country, just as we argued for,” he said.
“However, Labour must not use their brand new office building as an excuse to pull services out of Camden’s local communities. People want to see the council on their street corner and in touch with real people, not pulling up the drawbridge in King’s Cross.”
The redevelopment of the 65-acre King’s Cross Railway Lands as a whole, which was approved by the council in 2005, was criticised for not allowing for more affordable family-sized homes.
The international bank BNP Paribas will be neighbours in the new premises.
Robert Evans, from KCCLP, said the office space would be “first class”.
He added: “Three Pancras Square will be a very high quality building, combining flexible office spaces and modern public facilities with elegant architecture and the very highest standards. The deal means we now have four major office buildings at Pancras Square coming forward.”
If the project wins planning permission, Camden’s new offices are scheduled to open in 2014.