Camden launches future neighbourhood in Somers Town
A launch event has been held in Somers Town to mark the start of a bold set of environmental projects that will bring the community together to improve the climate resilience of their area.
In November 2021 it was announced that Camden Council had been successful in a bid to the Mayor of London for funding from the Future Neighbourhoods 2030 programme.
“We were delighted that our bid to the Mayor of London for this funding last year was successful.
“A green recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic is central to our aim for a more sustainable future for all our residents and also supports the urgent need to make Camden a more sustainable place and respond to the climate emergency.
“This launch event enabled us to come together to explain and show what developments will be happening in the area over the next year.
“Our goal is to work alongside residents, local businesses and organisations understand how climate change is affecting them, and more importantly, to work together on activities that are good for the environment, their pockets and their quality of life.”
The council, in partnership with Somers Town Community Association and Somers Town Neighbourhood Forum, are leading on the development of an overall strategy for Somers Town which will identify, with residents, what will need to happen locally to ensure that the area has cleaner and greener estates, low-emission transport, radically improved air quality, new energy efficiency measures, and low carbon energy sources and new ways of creating the ‘circular economy’.
The council will also work alongside the local communities to deliver 10 projects towards the changes residents want to see in their area. These projects will look to:
- Improve local green spaces
- Install solar panels on suitable local buildings
- Reduce local air pollution and help residents to reduce their exposure to pollution
- Improve the energy efficiency of council properties
- Improve the physical space around the neighbourhood to make walking and cycling safer, easier and more accessible
- Generate local ‘green’ jobs and opportunities to participate in ‘circular economy’ activities
The Future Neighbourhoods proposed projects are:
Healthy and climate safe streets
- A new segregated cycle lane (on Crowndale Road) and Healthy school streets for local schools.
Greening Somers Town estates
- Satellite green spaces at Camden housing estates and other sites in Somers town as well as a Horticultural Hub at the Story Garden.
Freight Action Plan
- Development of a local Freight Action Plan in partnership with the Knowledge Quarter to cut delivery congestion and pollution
Green Mobility Hubs
- A series of mobility hubs across the area, comprising a mixture of cycle hire, general cycle parking and EV-car clubs, to give residents and visitors high quality shared, and electric, transport options.
Cleaner air
- Air quality monitoring and Awareness raising, focus on indoor air quality and work with fuel-poor households to reduce indoor condensation and moulds and improve indoor air quality.
Retrofit housing estates and local skills
- 50 properties retrofitted with internal wall insulation with delivery supported through skills and training to support local employment
Somers Town Energy
- District energy serving 500 homes and local school expanded, with completion of a study to identify route to decarbonisation
Community energy
- Camden-based community energy group Power Up North London to raise community investment for solar installations
A community connected by a circular economy
- Creation of 3 market stalls in partnership with Central Saint Martins. Working with Think&Do, Global Generation and MAKEspace to host workshops and promote food growing.
Knowledge Quarter carbon offset scheme
- To provide a long-term sustainable funding stream for projects in the future.