Investment Opportunities
Opportunity Areas
Area of Intensification
Central activity Zone
International or metropolitan
Major
District
Borough Boundary
Green Belt
Metropolitan open land / Other open spaces
Rail station
Railway track
Foreshore
Water
The Knowledge Quarter Innovation District stretches from Camden Town to Holborn and Covent Garden and is home to a cluster of world-class scientific, academic, cultural and knowledge-based institutions and organisations. In recent years the innovation district has seen tremendous growth, particularly around King’s Cross, St Pancras and Euston stations, due to the excellent transport links, highly skilled workforce, high-quality office and lab spaces and enhanced retail, art and leisure offer. Camden Council is committed to supporting the future development of these industries that specialise in life sciences, data and technology and the creative industries so that local communities, residents and businesses reap genuine benefit. Following the success of the Francis Crick Institute, planning permission has been granted for UCL’s Institute of Neurology, London Discovery Research Centre for Merck and Moorfields Eye Hospital including the Institute of Ophthalmology.
INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY: Major development proposals that involve 1,000 sqm or more of additional employment, research and/or learning floorspace will be considered.
Kentish Town is well known for its bustling high street with a range of independent shops, cafés and pubs, as well as its great transport links to central London and beyond. Camden wants to build on this great location and the emerging creative cluster along Highgate Road with a new mixed-use quarter. The Kentish Town Planning Framework was shaped by the communities that surround the incredible opportunity at Regis Road and the Murphy’s site. The Framework envisages more than 2,000 new homes and a wide range of new jobs from creative industries to storage and distribution. Most importantly this will be a new zero carbon neighbourhood with its own character and community, very much a part of Kentish Town but on the doorstep of Hampstead Heath.
Located beside the Regent’s Canal between King’s Cross and Camden Town, the Canalside to Camley Street area occupies an incredible location with significant development opportunities linked to the Knowledge Quarter. Within this area, Camden Council is developing a large mixed-use scheme as part of its Community Investment Programme. This new neighbourhood will support around 200,00sqft of commercial space including light industrial and creative makers space, lab-enabled office alongside around 350 homes. Camden Council are reviewing opportunities for further partnerships as part of the main development. Ahead of redevelopment, Camden Council is partnering with a meanwhile operator, Co-Laboratories, to support the growth of life-sciences in the area within vacant units.
Project status: Pre-planning -concept design
Estimated Completion Date: 2027
Project Partners: Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, JLL, AECOM
Over the next 10-15 years, the arrival of HS2 at Euston will see this major central London station evolve into a state-of-the-art transport super-hub with transformed local and national connections.
Taken together with its scale, rich cultural heritage, and incredible scientific, digital, and academic Knowledge Quarter neighbours; the emergence of Euston as a super-hub provides a once in a generation opportunity to drive economic, social and environmental benefits by developing over and around the stations and tracks – an area of almost 60 acres.
Over-site development (OSD) at Euston will deliver:
Project status: Pre-planning, concept design
Project Partners: OSD is being led by Lendlease as the Master Development Partner, acting on behalf of the landowners, Department for Transport and Network Rail. The Local Authority is the London Borough of Camden working alongside the Greater London Authority.
Camden — 22 sq km in the heart of London, home to around 264,100 people, world class institutions, theatres, music venues, markets and green space. Camden’s history was shaped to a large extent by the railways which have helped create new growth areas around King’s Cross, St Pancras, Euston and Kentish Town.
The borough’s equally rich social history has been shaped by the people who live, work and learn here. 163 different languages and dialects are spoken in Camden schools, an indication of the borough’s diversity. It has the largest population of students in London and more higher education institutions than any other local authority. Camden Council is committed to protecting the borough’s mix of communities.
Population projections 2021 276,084
Population projections 2050 311,399
London plan new homes (ten-year target) 10,380
Building council homes for Londoners (four-year programme) 308
Kate Gibbs, Head of Inclusive Economy / Patrick Jones, Business Growth Manager
kate.gibbs@Camden.gov.uk / patrick.jones@camden.gov.uk
“As we worked through the challenges of Covid and now face a cost of living crisis , it is even more important that Camden’s future is one based on an inclusive, green economy, supporting and working with residents to build resilient, sustainable communities. Camden is home to many impressive and prominent retail, cultural and educational sites as well as major transport hubs - so there’s much room for enthusiasm and confidence about our prospects into the future. I am confident that by embracing the energy and strength within our communities, we will take advantage of the opportunities ahead and we’ll work together to tackle the challenges that we face.”
We Make Camden is our joint vision for the borough, developed in partnership with our community. Tackling inequality and injustice is at the core of our organisational purpose and ambition. As part of a broader, long-term commitment to tackling poverty in Camden, the plan sets out key challenges and missions to make it easier for everyone to stay healthy and to access food, education, good housing and well-paid work: ensuring no-one gets left behind. Camden welcomes productive growth and investment that helps meet that challenge.
We are developing KQ2050, a spatial strategy for infrastructure in the Knowledge Quarter, to maintain the growth of a key innovation district and a shared ambition for institutions, organisations and businesses that make up the KQ to support local people, tackle inequality and deliver direct opportunities to residents.
Good Work Camden is our flagship employability service, providing flexible and relational support for those furthest from the labour market to access good work and financial security. We also support employers to adopt good work practices through our Inclusive Business Network.
