Written by Lucy, October 2024 for the Highgate Village Broadsheet, launching online in November 2024 at www.highgatehq.co.uk
Local residents recently gathered to discuss the Archway Campus redevelopment proposal now submitted to Islington Council. While groups like The Highgate Society focus on issues surrounding the Tower and key historic buildings, residents near the northern boundary are alarmed by the potential impact on their forever homes.
Readers will be surprised to discover, due to its absence from 3D visuals, that the proposed 7 storey building is located just meters from existing homes. A particularly worrying aspect is that this building, with balconies overlooking residents’ properties, will overshadow them, significantly affecting access to natural light, in one case by over 50%, as acknowledged in the developer’s own submission.
Current view from the Academy’s outdoor common area used by residents as a children’s play area and for socialising.
The close proximity adds to the sense of invasion and loss of privacy but concerns extend beyond light and privacy. The proposed development offers little in terms of long-term community benefit. Of the affordable housing units planned, only three are family-sized homes, while 28 are one-bedroom flats and 5 are studios. For those hoping the development would provide much-needed family housing to support local schools, this is a bitter disappointment.
Where did the sky go? Proposed view from the Academy's outdoor common area, including Block A - with 19 balconies expected to overlook homes
Additionally, the proposal includes 242 student rooms, which, while providing a short-term financial return for the developers, are exempt from council tax and do not contribute to the area’s long-term social or economic growth. The community fears heavy reliance on student housing will place additional pressure on already overstretched local services such as GP surgeries and transport, without providing the vibrancy and sustainability that could come from a more balanced housing development. Many feel the developers are sacrificing the neighbourhood’s long-term needs for short-term gains, prioritising transient residents over creating a stable, cohesive community. There is also concern that critical issues defining this development are being ignored and that a more realistic approach should have been taken to balance heritage preservation with affordable housing demands.
Many believe that commercial profit rates are driving this over-development. Instead of sacrificing the Archway community, planners and developers should reassess what is realistically achievable or consider appointing another architect to go back to the drawing board and create a proposal that better serves the community’s needs.
To truly grasp the essence of the proposed scheme, one only needs to look at the submission itself.
Despite the many drawings and visualisations, the developer still fails to represent the scheme’s true impact on residents’ homes. Instead, it distracts with detailed depictions of a “children’s play area” complete with spring blossom, autumn leaves, and a brash, unsheltered two-story helter-skelter at its center. Like the larger scheme, the play area appears well conceived, if not of the highest value or importance; however, a closer look reveals it’s an illusion —a sales pitch that in reality offers no true benefit, least of all for the community it claims to serve.
Depiction of the playground, included in Seven Capital's proposal for Archway Campus
Local residents and organizations across Archway are filing their objections to the current proposal. With potential long-term impacts on traffic, infrastructure, amenities, architectural heritage, local character, noise, light, privacy, quality of life, and community cohesion, the time to take action is now.
Please send your objections to planning@islington.gov.uk and follow the local campaign.
APPLICATION NUMBER: P2024/2598/FUL can be found here: Citizen Portal Planning - application details