Purpose

On 20 June 2022, the Council entered into an agreement with Bow Arts, an arts and education charity, to deliver affordable creative workspaces within Cartmel, Coniston and Langdale blocks in Regent’s Park estate, as a meanwhile use, as the blocks were voluntarily decanted. Bow Arts provides artists with affordable studios, professional development and opportunities to contribute to the local community through education and public art. This collaboration has helped provide passive security to the blocks while sustaining Camden’s cultural vibrancy, ensuring artists work and engage locally while contributing to the borough’s social and economic life.  

The programme aimed to reduce long-term voids and antisocial behaviour, provide affordable workspace for local creatives, support community vitality and deliver social value through education and cultural activity. 

Although these goals have been achieved, the mixed residential–commercial model in the context of the Building Safety Act 2022 has created significant building safety and management complexities. As a result, the current arrangements need to be reviewed to determine whether they remain suitable for the scale of Bow Arts’ operations across the three blocks.

Decision

THAT the Executive Director Investment, Place and Opportunity, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for New Homes and Community Investment:

1. Notes that, pursuant to the Cabinet decision of 18 January 2023, authority was delegated to the Executive Director for Supporting Communities, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for New Homes and Community Investment, to take all decisions reasonably necessary to implement the Settlement and Indemnity Agreement with HS2 Ltd, following consideration of the report entitled Funding Agreement with HS2 Ltd. for mitigating impacts of HS2 works on Cartmel, Coniston and Langdale, Regent's Park Estate - Camden Council. The role of Executive Director of Supporting Communities has been dissolved, who formerly had delegated authority to take this decision. For the purposes of this report, the new position of Executive Director of Investment, Place and Opportunities has taken over the relevant responsibilities relating to this decision and is authorised to take this decision.
2. Approves Option 2, as set out in this report, which proposes the return of Langdale and Cartmel to residential use only, in order to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Building Safety Act 2022 in respect of higher-risk buildings.
3. Agrees that the future use of the currently vacant homes shall be determined in accordance with the requirement to secure vacant possession.