The November BelSoc Newsletter is online here as a pdf.

It has been a pleasure to welcome you to some events over the last months. We have had almost a year and half without this being possible but this Newsletter reports on two lively and successful events.

Averil Nottage provided an excellent tour of both Belsize and local history, with a walk that gathered 50 of us despite the threat of rain. The library hosted a screening of David Percy’s “The Story of Moll King’s Belsize Houses”, an illustrated presentation of his recent book. The event also gave us an opportunity to celebrate 50 years and we reproduce in the Newsletter Averil’s talk about our first half-century.

The Newsletter also draws from our archives, looking at the community events that have been a feature of the past half century of our work and TYCT. The Newsletter also covers the Belsize Community Choir and notes some of the planning matters that are live in the Belsize area (100 Avenue Road, HS2). Some Society matters are also covered.

We look forward to seeing many of you at the Society’s carol singing this year. 

Hope you enjoy this Newsletter.

HS2 Update

Works are continuing to set up the Adelaide Road site for HS2.  From mid-November for up to six weeks, HS2 will start to remove further vegetation and trees within the site boundary.  The works do not include removal of vegetation or trees within the Adelaide Nature Reserve. Please visit HS2inCamden.co.uk for more information.  If you have a question about HS2 or the works in Camden, please contact the helpdesk on 08081 434 434 or email HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk

Have your say on the Community Vision for Gospel Oak and Haverstock

Camden Council is consulting until 17 December about a draft planning guidance document, setting out the key issues and opportunities seen in the Gospel Oak and Haversack area. The context is an anticipated large amount of changes happening in the coming years, highlighting the development proposals that are to be built or likely to come forward. This includes sites for new homes or modern replacements for existing homes. There are also plans for community and health facilities. Further details: bit.ly/gohvision

Belsize and Argentina

We have had a request for information about the family of General Juan Manuel de Rosas, President of the Confederation of the United Provinces of Rio de la Plata, the precursor of Argentina, who was a dictator and exiled to Britain in 1852.  His descendants had connections with Belsize Park. Any information about where they lived would be welcome and, in particular, we have been asked about whether No 88 Belsize Park Gardens ever existed as an address. If you have any clues about this, please contact us at info@belsize.org.uk.

Are you a keen baker?

We are looking to update our rota of people able and willing to make a cake or savoury snack for our events.  If you want to contribute to this much-appreciated aspect of BelSoc, please contact info@belsize.org.uk.

BelSoc subscription reminder

Your £10 annual subscription to the Belsize Society is due on 1 January.  We do not send out a separate invoice, but in the envelope with this newsletter you will find an individual letter about your payment method.  Please ensure your subscription is paid on or before 1 January 2022.

Remember all the benefits of the membership, such as the “Tradesmen You Can Trust” booklet and the chance to be involved with local issues. Also, if you are able, please use gift aid when making membership payments.

A second 100 Avenue Road Public Inquiry is taking place about this development this month. The focus is Essential Living’s appeal of Camden Council’s refusal of application to amend/reduce the amount of affordable housing. Camden Council will be defending their decision and the Belsize Society is supporting this, with our planning committee member, Tom Symes, presenting his submission to the Inquiry.

Many will remember the application made by the developers over five years ago to build a 26-storey residential block for rental. While many objections were made to the scale and nature of the original application, the first planning inquiry’s recommendations to approve did expect considerable social contribution by the developer. In a recent application, Essential Living had asked to significantly reduce these. There were also some amendments proposed to materials used in the building.

Both aspects the Council refused. The Society are making a strong case supporting Camden’s refusal. The Public Inquiry will take place on 9th, 10th, 11th & 12th November, at Committee Chambers, Crowndale Centre.

A meeting of Camden’s Development Management Forum is to be held on Thursday 18 November at 7 pm.  The meeting is to be held online and is open to the public to attend.
At the meeting, Camden will consider policies for a number of development sites (Site Allocations), including: 

• the O2 site (included in the West Hampstead Interchange Area) and 
• Individual Development Site 9 (IDS9) –  Meridien House at 202-204 Finchley Road, which is occupied by tenants including Allied Irish Bank:

IDS9 and other Individual Development Sites

Anyone wishing to attend Thursday’s meeting online should register at:
https://camdenplanning.councilsuk.live/camden site allocations local plan
Following registration, you will receive instructions for submitting questions to be addressed during the meeting.  

Current planning proposal for the O2 Site
A planning application is to be submitted next month for 1,850 flats in 12 closely-spaced tower blocks.  These will range in height from 13 to 16 stories along the northern boundary of the site, with lower towers to the south.  The proposed heights compare with mid-rise mansion block heights of up to six storeys along Finchley Road.
Assuming that the tower blocks are occupied, and based on an average occupancy of 2.5 per flat, more than 4,600 residents may be expected to live on the site.  Green space provision will be, mainly, a 10 metre-wide strip of land running alongside the underground railway tracks, putting further strain on the very limited existing green space.

The ‘Proposed update on 02 Centre site plans and consultation opportunities prepared for CRASH members’ is also attached

HS2 is planning more works on Adelaide Road. This will involve lane closure and one west bound bus stop suspemsion. The duration is due to begin on 24th November and be terminated on 22nd April 2022. Please see details here.

Camden has issued a lot of information relating to the Essential Living appeal against the Council’s refusal to remove the social housing obligation from their planning permission. The Inquiry will take place over 4 days starting on Tuesday, 9th November at 10 a.m. until 12th November 2021. The event will be held in person at the Crowndale Centre, 218 Eversholt Street, London NW1 1BD but with capacity for people to observe virtually.
Camden has also issued three links related to the inquiry:
– Details are on a dedicated webpage: https://www.camden.gov.uk/en/100-avenue-road-public-inquiry
– Access to a dedicated Dropbox for all the appeal documents which can also be found on the planning explorer: http://camdocs.camden.gov.uk/HPRMWebDrawer/PlanRec?q=recContainer:%222021/0025/P%22
– Dedicated email address for people to use to register whether they want to attend (virtually via MS Teams or in person at the Crowndale Centre) and if they want to speak. email: 100avenueroad@camden.gov.uk
Camden is encouraging residents to attend and has issued a Formal Notice for those wishing to do so. It is being sent to all those who made written representations and may also be accessed here.

We are very pleased that David Percy will present the story of Moll King’s houses as featured in his book The Harlots of Haverstock Hill at the Belsize Community Library on 4 November 2021. The film includes readings by Dame Janet Suzman. We will also celebrate 50 years of the Society and Association at the event.

Harlots is an account of the remarkable life of “Moll” King, an 18th century madam or brothel-keeper, an ambitious and opportunistic woman who rose from humble beginnings in the streets of London to become one of the first settlers in Belsize Park. Moll became a wealthy landowner with several properties on Haverstock Hill in the days when there were no more than a handful of houses along this country road to Hampstead. Her legacy remains there to this day.

There will be a chance to ask David questions about the fascinating tale, as well as socialise after the screening and Q&A.

We ask you to pre-book as space will be limited and we are keen to be able to manage the event in line with any restrictions in place at the time.

The event will be free, but please register at the event link or paste https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/moll-kings-belsize-houses-tickets-166433486037.

If you are unable to access Eventbrite to make a booking, you can contact us at 7794 0874.