‘Get tough’ call on Brill Place housing and community facilities for Somers Town

Published: 01 July, 2010
by RICHARD OSLEY

THE Town Hall is under pressure to get tough and demand housing on land behind the British Library currently earmarked for a new medical research centre.

Residents in Somers Town want the council to stick to original planning guidelines and negotiate a deal that will include new homes and community facilities in Brill Place.

A conglomerate of research bodies called the UK Centre for Medical Research and Innovation want to build a new centre for scientific research on the site.

Candy Udwin, representing tenants and associations in the area, led a deputation in front of the full council on Monday night.

She said: “What we are hoping is that the new (Labour) administration won’t just listen to us but help us intervene. The UKCMRI development proposes no housing and no community facilities. We believe it could be done cheaper and more safely on their existing site in Barnet. We think it’s a vanity project to be near the station.”

But there was a lack of obvious support for the protest from Somers Town councillor Peter Brayshaw, a Labour member, who said Camden would risk losing out in negotiations if the council let the decision go to the Mayor of London or the government.

He asked the deputation: “Would you accept that all the leading researchers, scientists and Nobel prizewinners believe this is the right project right in the right place at the right time for conquering the diseases I’m sure we all object to? Just to say no to the development will not conjure the facilities that we all would hope to see in the area.”

Environment chief Councillor Sue Vincent told the meeting that councillors would give “due consideration” to all sides of the argument at the planning permission stage. A decision on the project is expected to be made in August.