Kings Cross Local Environment

A new public square at King's Cross

In June 2008, with much fanfare, Network Rail launched an international design competition with the aim of seeking a "world class exemplar design" for "one of London's most high profile public realm projects"; indeed, "the most significant piece of place making for many years". We've been waiting with bated breath to see the design. True we were always going to be harsh critics, particularly because we've been kept out of the loop throughout the process and many of us are likely to be kept out of the decision making process that will approve Network Rail's future planning application. Despite my rather low expectation when I went to see the new design being shown at the station today, I did think I'd see something new, innovative, exciting maybe even challenging.

I saw a huge pavement, an entrance to the tube, two ventilation shafts and a few benches. Oh, and four trees.

Something must have gone badly wrong here. During the design process the architect must have hit so many barriers to creating anything imaginative that they have had to settle with tearing down the plastic bit in front of the station and doing a bit of paving.

Construction projects are horribly difficult, with the best will in the world much can go wrong. But if there are insurmoutable design barriers, why keep that so very quiet for all this time? And why launch the design this week as if it's something to be proud of? It clearly falls far short of Network Rail's original expectations. It looks exactly like the simple graphic that's been on the hoardings for months, not the result of an international design competition.

What next? Unfortunately, Islington residents and businesses won't be fully included in the planning process as the station falls just inside the Camden border. Luckily, Camden residents and businesses can have a huge influence however. We urge everyone to respond to the public consultation about the square and press for it to be at least a bit better than the plain big pavement it looks like it might turn out to be.

One of the trustees at a local charity has been asking for some time that the new public square become a peace garden, green and with some suitable water feature. Please, please Network Rail, have a heart and think again.

Image from the Network Rail leaflet "A New Space for London"

The exhibition showing the new square continues at King's Cross Station until Tuesday 26 July 2011, responses to the Network Rail consultation can be made online.

Statutory consultation will take place once Network Rail submits a detailed planning application.

If you hear any news about the new Square please let us know, we'll keep you as up to date as we can.

 

 

Voyages - tomorrow morning at King's Place

Exhibition - Chaperones of Eros 24 Caledonian Road

 Islington Exhibits is an interesting series of exhibitions in Islington's hidden spaces.

Artist Lee Gascoigne writes:

'I am currently having a small exhibition titled "Chaperones Of Eros" in the window of The White Cubicle at 24 Caledonian Road. The space has been kindly loaned out to me by Bob Stuckey and is where the local sculptor Jim Geddes would often display his work. The exhibition is part of Islington Exhibits 2011(www.islingtonexhibits.com) and will on view until 24 July.'

'And of the work: Chaperones of Eros. A selection of imaginary London gigolos advertise their individual charms in a series of free-standing upright paper collages.'

There we go.  The phrases 'Kings Cross' and 'gigolo' together will do wonders for this website's traffic from Google, I'm sure.  That post ages ago for about a 'trash glory hole' is still popular on Saturday nights.

B@1 or Beatone Kings Cross - cocktail bar to replace Ruby Lounge at 33 Caledonian Road

The latest incarnation of 33 Caledonian Road is to be a cocktail bar B@1 Kings Cross (or beatone kings cross for the non-textual), part of a chain with other branches predominantly South of the river and West.  Not sure when it will open but there's a Facebook page and a webpage.  So far it will retain the hours of its predecessor the Ruby open to 0200 Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights - the other bars in the chain don't open past 0200.  There have been some minor amends to the licence but i can't work out what yet.

Doubtless there's an appropriate platitude about regeneration or London's trendy Kings Cross or Kings Cross party capital, Hogarths Gin Lane etc. but i can't find it right now. The Ruby Lounge will be missed - I wasn't a regular, but when i went it had its good and bad nights but was usually distinctive, friendly and not too chain-ey .  I have a distant memory from the 1990s that it used to be a trad. pub the Hop and Grapes. Or was it the Hoop and Grapes or The Grapes? Can someone help with a history of pubs on that site? Was it Roy Porter who said that in London land use 'stains the map'.

Alan Dein photography and walking tour of Kings Cross 16 July 2 - 4

Alan Dein has worked with local people on some superb local history projects in Kings Cross.  The London Street Photography Festival have been in touch to say that:

'Kings Cross Voices' Alan Dein will describe the changing faces of King's Cross, from its industrial heyday, to its deteriation after the Second World War, and now its revival as a major regeneration site. We'll explore and photograph hidden architectural gems as we wander the back streets north, south, east and west of the railway stations.

'After your walk you will be invited to upload your photos to the festival's Flickr group to share with others. Oral Historian and Broadcaster, Alan Dein, was the co-ordinator of King's Cross Voices. To hear and find out more about the collection please visit the website.

This event is FREE but please email [email protected] to book your space.

Assemble outside the German Gym Pancras Road by 1400 on 16 July. 

[Street photo - William Perrin - Rufford Street abandoned toilet against surviving wall of C19th railway mortuary 24 March 2011]

Hillview Summer Party

Hillview Summer Party will take place on Saturday July 30th in Whidborne Courtyard, Whidborne Street between midday and 9.30pm.

This free party has live bands, face painting, performance poetry, a busking corner, DJ’s, delicious food and refreshments. The party is a scaled-down version of the famous Hillview Festival which is remembered fondly by many of the people on the estate as great community event which brought people together and helped to showcase some of the considerable talent which existed and still exists among the residents here!.

There was often a fairly anarchic spirit in the early days. For instance one year, to the horror of health and safetyists there was a trapeze wire set up between the balconies on either side of Midhope Courtyard.

It was also an early stomping ground for many who later went on to fame and fortune such as Jarimoquai and Shane McGowan from the Pogues Inspired by the group of people who originally helped to form Shortlife Community Housing in the late 1970s, the festival ran most years until 2005 and helped to create the sometimes almost villagey community feel that still exists in the area.

It is very much that sense of a positive and creative local community that we hope this year’s party run by the Hillview Residents Association will help revive and refresh. And maybe next year we will revive the full festival. Thanks to Sophie Talbot for designing the poster. Nb. The food for the children’s party is only for the children of the estate.

Star of Kings extended opening hours - resident comment

The Star of Kings pub at 126 York Way is seeking to open until 0400 on Friday and Saturday nights. I wrote this issue up for the site with a long comment from the Star of Kings leaseholder Rob Hives.  The article also describes in detail how to comment on the application to the council.  

I had spoken to Mike a local resident who is objecting and Mike has now sent in to me a long comment:

'Hello Will,

first I would like to say well done on writing a very unbiased and informative article on the 'Star of Kings Club' and reference to the past bad and ugly history here residents have had to endure over the past 10 years now.

'You hit the nail on the head in one sentence, when you commented on the Pub Premises, regarding the monstrous size of this building, situated in the heart of a fast developing residential area.  This Pub was successful in the early Backpacker Pub days associated with the Bagley’s Club nearby operating on Sundays, long before York Way Court and the New Private Flats situated at the junction of Copenhagen Street/York Way were developed.  

'It was an area of industrial land then.  But since 2000, when York Way Court families moved in, it quickly developed into a densely residential populated area.  The Backpacker Pub and Bagley’s Club, both failed to understand that this area had overnight, turned into a large residential area, and they failed to respect that critical fact, and continued to ignore the complaints of residents and continue as they had always done without adapting and making changes. This as you know, was their mistake/downfall and reason for in the end, moving out the area waved off by residents!

'Residents voted that they no longer wished to have any association with any form of binge drinking Pubs or Clubs that closed late at night, causing loud noise pollution and other associated anti-social problems from intoxicated drinkers in groups. 

'For a Pub this size that boasts of holding over 400 persons inside and an outside street forecourt; is always going to cause problems late at night followed by complaints ongoing, has no place any longer in this residential Kings Cross area.  But a Pub like this cannot survive without having a late night licence to promote what they term nicely and camouflage as, 'live entertainment and eating,' which in fact, as we all know, is another term for 'binge drinking,' to fill up the Club and make money from getting customers to consume as much alcohol as they can. After that, we all know the story ending!

To return back to the old Backpacker Pub days, will cast an ugly shadow over the newly developed Kings Cross area.  Residents and local businesses do not want this.  We do not want to become another Club land area for binge drinking, Fly posting will sprout up, drunken revellers will be hanging around late at night in the small gardens area/Shopping parade on York Way, the Canal entrances, having sex, sleeping it off, being sick and urinating every place they can.  And when the newly opened University opens nearby, can you imagine all the young fresh students having to learn the rituals of binge drinking and drunkenness!  It will make Kings Cross/York Way/Copenhagen Street and other nearby areas an unsafe place to live and work.

'Already their customers are taking their drinks outside the pub forecourt area onto the public pavements and along the side of the Pub in front of York Way, where family homes back on to, which the manager now calls their 'new smoking area' is completely unacceptable. This is a council pavement area - not a drinking extension forecourt area of the Pub?  Their licence does not cover this?  This really makes local residents angry and fuming.

'It is so intimidating for residents, children, families, and the elderly to have to ask a crowd of drinkers to move aside when standing and drinking on the public pavement area, especially for ladies and young girls, it's intimidating and puts fear into residents and passersby and we just do not want this.  It is unacceptable. We had all this with the Backpacker Pub and eventually they ended up with 14 pub security doormen staff to control this situation, i.e. public pavements and garden area in front of the shopping parade where they loitered.

'Will, you know I can go on and on and on about the bad practises of this Star of Kings Pub.  I am aghast in the fact that they have alone, tried to increase their opening hours weekdays and weekends until 04.00hrs and Sunday's until 02.00hrs.This shows they are out of touch with this community and local residents.  This is about them making profit from promoting their binge drinking activities.

'If the Star of Kings Pub is allowed to increase their opening hours, then Kings Cross will be 'stepping back into the past' and for local residents, life will be unbearable and intolerable living here.  This must not be allowed to happen for the sake of common sense, decency and respect for residents of this area.  For private property owners, the prices of their properties will diminish greatly when persons find this is a Club land area of binge drinkers and noise pollution.

'I have actually seen crowds of men aged between 20 to 45, approximately as many as 10 guys knocking on the Star of Kings Pub at 09.45 hrs on a Saturday morning to start drinking alcohol! Why are they serving alcohol at 09.00hrs in the mornings?  Are they working with other drinking establishments when they close to attract them to the Star of kings Pub to continue their drinking sessions?  Especially on sporting days.  This should not be allowed either.  Coffees and soft drinks I can understand.  

'Of course, I am affected by the noise pollution, living only a distance of 30 metres away looking directly on to this Pub and already have to put up with bad behaviour from drinkers attending the Star of Kings pub.  But I will be objecting because I love where I live, I love Kings Cross and what it is fast becoming.  I am proud to live and work here.

'I strongly urge all residents reading this Post to object and stop this extended licence application for the benefit of this community and residential area.  If you don’t, life will never be the same here again.  No peace and quality of life, it will be destroyed and taken away from us.  Your support is needed.

Enough said.  

Mike

Islington resident of York Way Court, N1.  (I have lived here for 11 years now)

King's Cross Square plans unveiled!

Lauren Broadfield who leads on community liaison for the King's Cross Station redevelopment at Network Rail writes:

Your invitation to see our plans for a new public square

Creating a new public square at King’s Cross station is one of the most exciting urban challenges facing London today. It’s sitting at the heart of an area already being filled with new energy by business and community groups, urban development and transport projects.

The green canopy on Euston Road will be stripped away in 2012, transforming the area into a public space for London by the end of 2013. The Grade I listed Victorian station façade will be revealed for the first time in over a century.

Come and meet the team behind the redevelopment, see our proposals for the square and give us your comments. We’ll be in the station by the passenger information desk on:

Friday 22 July
7am – 7pm

Saturday 23 July
9am – 6pm

Sunday 24 July
9am – 6pm

Monday 25 July
7am – 7pm

Tuesday 26 July
7am – 7pm

You can also give us your feedback on the plans online

We look forward to meeting you soon.

0400 opening proposed - The Star of Kings pub, 126 York Way Kings Cross

The Star of Kings pub at 126 York Way (just South of Copenhagen Street juntion, formerly Cross Kings) has applied for permission to open until 0400 the following morning on Friday and Saturday nights.  It's current opening times are 0200 on those nights.  On Thursdays it now wants to stay open until 0200 the following morning.  The current licence for Thursday is midnight.  The licence application also wants to allow live music, dancing, plays, comedy, the service of food etc all to be rolled up to those times.

The Star of Kings, although it faces the Kings Cross wastelands backs up to a dense residential area - York Way Court, Tiber Gardens estates as the photo shows.

The Council letter to neighbouring residents is here  Download Star of Kings licence variation

Local resident Mike contacted me concerned about this application.  He is organising local people to object.  His grounds are mainly late night noise and disorder.  Mike and other local residents have had problems with this venue under previous management.

I've discussed this with Mike.  It's a fine balance between those old aphorism about the lessons of history and the sins of the fathers.   One of the challenges of Kings Cross as it changes is that local people have had such appalling experiences in the past that we react strongly in a safety first way when change is proposed.

The Backpacker pub on this site was the most awful i have ever known.  To my mind, the site is poorly designed for a pub in a  residential area with a noisy outdoor area at the front.  But then that's often the way with Victorian venues.  

How a pub behaves depends on how it is run.  I spoke with the new leaseholders to get their point of view and add some flesh to the bare licensing application - here's Rob Hives:

'We opened the pub as The Star of Kings in December 2010 after making a significant investment in the kitchen, dining areas and the basement of the pub to try and turn what was mainly a live music venue into a comfortable and safe place to eat, drink and be entertained.

'Our aim is to offer good food and range of entertainment that serves people that both live and work in the local area. After running several events on temporary extensions this year with no issues, we decided to apply for an extension of our trading hours. We are looking to extend our opening hours until 2am on Thursday and 4am on Friday and Saturday. This would not necessarily mean that we would open until these hours every single weekend, rather we would have the option to run events that deem the extension to be necessary. The events would be a mixture of live music and DJ led events.

'Despite having no problem with sound leakage from the venue, we are also undertaking further sound proofing of the basement and the ground floor to ensure that this situation continues in the future, we also operate all the sound equipment well below the level that has been set by the council.

'Following feedback from local residents we have constructed a smoking area outside the front of the pub that is as far away as possible from local residents and this is monitored at all times by members of staff. When leaving patrons are also reminded to leave quietly, with transport arranged outside the venue when necessary. With a later opening time people will also leave at staggered times throughout the evening rather than all at once at 2am. 

'We intend to operate the pub for the foreseeable future and wish to build strong links with the local community and therefore welcome peoples feedback on these changes. Our aim is to become an asset to the community not an annoyance.

'Please feel free to contact me via phone or email, if you would like to discuss the application further. We are also looking to hold an open evening in the very near future for local people to come and see the newly refurbished venue and discuss any concerns that they may have.

Kind Regards
Rob Hives
[email protected] / 07932 869 705'

To my mind Rob Hives is sincere but needs to go further on community consultation.  Often licencees are badly advised by lawyers (paid on piece work) on lobbing in applications which are proceduarrly correct but on which the communtiy hasn't been sounded out.

If you want to comment then send an email to [email protected] stating your view and your name and address.  It's helpful if you include reference WK/111227238.  You can comment on issues relating to: the prevention of crime and disorder, the prevention of nuisance, public safety and the protection of children from harm. There's a page on commenting on the Council website.  You don't have to live hard by the venue to comment these days.

Cally Festival Cllr Paul Convery on the changing Cally Road

Paul Convery and his fellow councillors did a lot of work behind the scenes to make sure that the road closure, licensing and permissions all came through for the festival to go ahead.  Here he reflects on the future for the changing Cally and how the festival has opened people's eyes to what a great, vibrant, diverse area this is.