This week the Forum submitted formal representations to Camden Council on the Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report for the redevelopment of Murphy’s Yard — the site of 6.3 hectares that borders Gospel Oak, Kentish Town, Regis Road and Hampstead Heath, that was the subject of a withdrawn application in 2021/22.
The current proposal is for up to 17 buildings, of 16 storeys, delivering up to 1,750 homes, student accommodation, co-living space and a hotel. While this represents a lower height than the previous application, it is a drastic cut in industrial space (essential for job creation) and is a 115 per cent increase in housing units proposed in the withdrawn scheme. Murphy/Folgate intend to put plots out to tender to different developers and the work is continue for the next 15-20 years.
We understand that the site is going to be developed but our response raises a number of points we believe Camden should require the developer to properly assess before the scheme progresses, following the DPNF Neighbourhood Plan (adopted in March 2020), including: the scale of change since the withdrawn 2021 application; affordable housing and Camden’s own Local Plan target; the borough’s own policy requiring intensification, not reduction, of industrial floorspace on this site; protected views from Parliament Hill and the Kenwood–St Paul’s viewing corridor; overshadowing of Kentish Town City Farm; wind conditions around the proposed towers; and pedestrian safety at the Gordon House Road crossing, particularly for the five schools within a short walk of the site.
A related submission, on climate resilience and flooding
Separately, Mortimer Terrace Nature Reserve which borders the site, is also submitting its own representations, focused on impacts specific to the Reserve: daylight and wind effects from the proposed towers, and two further points worth knowing about.
Climate resilience isn’t currently locked into the Design Code
This site won’t be built out by one developer. Plots are expected to be parcelled and sold to different housebuilders over a build-out running to 2042, each designing against the site’s Design Code and Parameter Plans rather than the wider supporting documents submitted now. Camden’s own adopted policies (CC1 and CC2) require climate change mitigation and adaptation, but there’s currently no requirement for climate resilience — glazing ratios, solar heat gain, reflectivity — to be written into the binding Design Code itself, rather than left in a standalone Sustainability Statement or Overheating Strategy that later plot developers won’t be bound by. In practice, that means whatever is agreed now could simply not apply to most of the 17 buildings eventually built. The Reserve’s submission asks Camden to fix this at scoping stage, before the Design Code is set.
An outdated flood risk allowance
The scheme’s drainage strategy appears to rely on a climate change allowance that predates 2022 updates to Environment Agency guidance, and should be tested against current, catchment-specific figures and London Plan policy favouring green drainage infrastructure over tanked attenuation, given the site’s crossing of the historic River Fleet’s culverted course.
You can respond too — and it genuinely matters
Camden’s state their deadline for comments on this stage is 17 September 2026. The Council’s scoping reference for the application is 2026/3564/P — please quote this if you write in. You can also respond directly the application via this link. And you can read the Scoping Report authored by Trium here
Individual responses count. It was the volume of objections — around 1,500 — alongside formal concerns from statutory bodies, that contributed to the withdrawal of the 2021 scheme. A short email raising even one or two points you care about is worth sending.
One point we’d particularly welcome members raising individually
Our own submission focuses on the points above, but we’re aware of a further concern from early design workshop material: there is a significant level change across the site which is reportedly proposed to be addressed on the main walking and cycling route by a flight of stairs with a wheeling channel for bicycles, and a lift as the only step-free alternative — rather than a ramp. This would mean that wheelchair users, parents with pushchairs, or anyone using a cargo bike or adapted cycle would have to rely on a single lift as the only way through. If this matters to you, it’s worth raising directly with Camden, citing the scoping reference above and asking that a switchback/ramped alternative be properly explored before this is fixed in the Design Code.
Where to send comments: Planning Officer Scoping reference: 2026/3564/P
This is DPNF’s full submission for anyone who wants to read it in full or draw on it for their own response.
Best wishes,
Dartmouth Park Neighbourhood Forum
Summary of the application
Request for scoping opinion under Regulation 15 of the Town and Country Planning Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations 2017, for phased mixed-use development including the partial demolition, alteration and redevelopment of two locomotive sheds; demolition of all other structures on site; the erection of up to 17 buildings (up to ground plus 15 storeys) to deliver up to 171,000m2 Gross External Area (GEA) of residential floorspace to provide up to 1,750 units (Use Class C3), alongside up to 20,000m2 GEA of industrial floorspace (Use Class B2/B8 and E(g)(iii)), up to 1,000m2 GEA of community uses (Use Class B2/B8/E/E(g)(iii)/F1/F2/Sui Generis), up to 7,500m2 GEA of commercial floorspace (Use Class E/Sui Generis.
In addition to the above, the following use classes are also proposed but are not anticipated to be built out to their full parameter limits), up to 8,000m2 GEA of hotel floorspace (Use Class C1), up to 11,000m2 GEA of Large-Scale Purpose-Built Shared Living (LSPBSL) (‘Co-living’) space (Use Class Sui Generis) and up to 11,000m2 GEA of Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) (‘Student Accommodation’) (Use Class Sui Generis).
If you are reading this on our website or directly in your inbox, we want to welcome you to our brand-new newsletter system.
We recently migrated our community from Mailchimp to a faster, cleaner system integrated right into our website. Our goal is to give you a much better reading experience without the clutter.
What this means for our subscribers:
- No Action Needed: Your subscription has been safely and securely transferred over.
- Data Privacy: Your details remain completely protected and compliant with data privacy laws.
- Total Control: You can update your profile details or unsubscribe at any absolute time using the links at the bottom of our emails.