Do you live in South Camden
and care about your community?
IT'S OUR TOWN HALL....
Camden's most important civic building
But there's been a take-over
by
the Bottaccio Group
Camden Town Hall in context
St Pancras Chambers (in the background) Queen Alexandra Mansions (in the foreground)
Queen Alexandra Mansions
lies a few feet away from Camden Town Hall
in Bidborough Street
The story behind the licensing application
[which has now closed - but to which over 140 individuals and groups have objected
Over 140 residents have made a representation to Camden, as well as local community groups, objecting to this license application.
The Licensing Committee will make a decision in due course.
An events and hospitality business called Il Bottaccio - also known as Eventhia Limited - has been given a lease and licence by Camden Council to operate their business in the former Camden Centre, now renamed "The Vision Hall". (This is the eastern side of the Town Hall building.) Licensable activities (ie alcohol for sale and entertainment) is permitted here until 4 am (Friday & Saturday, 24 times each year). Late hours otherwise are until 3 am (Thursday), 2 am (Wednesday) and 1 am (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday). .
Il Bottaccio is soon to be ensconced in the top two floors of the main Town Hall building, a space now referred to as 'Bidborough Works', which includes 4 rooftop terraces overlooking residential dwellings.
Eventhia has submitted a licensing application to run what has all the hallmarks of a Club (for "private members" and their guests), entertaining over 600 people until midnight, Monday to Saturday (150 people may stay until 2am),
On the south side, Camden Town Hall sits in a dense residential area
The entrance and exit to 'Bidborough Works' is on narrow Bidborough Street, a few metres from 180 homes in Queen Alexandra Mansions. The extremely negative impact on the health and wellbeing of residents' of all ages (including children) is unacceptable.
Unless Eventhia’s latest plans are stopped, and the licence rejected and changed, local residents will be subject to excessive noise, traffic jams, nuisance and disturbance by a company able to operate a many faceted 'party-zone' from a building originally hallmarked to serve our community.
Eventhia wants their Bidborough Works venue to be licensed for
the sale of alcohol (11.30/midnight) and late night refreshments (1.30am),
plus regulated entertainment (11.30/midnight)..
The operating hours are from 7am to 2am (to midnight on Sunday).
Mixing restaurants, bars, and office workers together stretches belief!
A sneaky change of use?
For information:
Plans of 2nd and 3rd Floor of Camden Town Hall
(1) annotated following a community visit to the Town Hall
2) Submitted by Eventhia as part of the licence application, with limited information on the actual use of each space
The original planning approval (granted in 2019) was for office use of the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Town Hall. Following Covid, Camden agreed that a co-working facility is appropriate to 'office use'. But, as the licensing application implies, this has now morphed into an all-purpose private members club with cafes, bars, and two restaurants (one for 140 people, the other for 60). There's an auditorium proposed for 250 people. The plans (which can be downloaded above) only identifies 182 sqm as a co-working lounge: all the other spaces are for dining and drinks. The licensable activities include entertainment and late night refreshments (until 1.30 am).
Are all these amenities really "ancillary" for co-working?
With permission for events until 4 am in the 'Vision Hall' (former Camden Centre) that lies immediately next door - and easily accessible from the ground floor Reception - the licensing application appears to show that what is proposed in Bidborough Works is an entertainment and events venue that will effectively extend the licence granted in respect of the former Camden Centre.
This is an unacceptable takeover of a civic building by a business intent on using "co-working" as an excuse for turning Camden Town Hall into a 'Fun Party Palace'
Traffic was reduced in Judd Street following the closure of the access to Euston Road.
Queues are likely to return with the Town Hall being turned in an events & entertainment venue
The size of lorry likely to be servicing the Town Hall events spaces, negotiating the corner of Bidborough Street and Tonbridge Street - right by Argyle Primary School: one of Camden's Healthy School Streets
Impact on local streets
The historic Town Hall at the northern end of Judd Street (now a central artery for C6, a major cycle route), stands at the heart of our residential community. Yet our peaceful streets - home to families, seniors, children, students, i.e. residents of all ages - are under imminent threat of being overrun by an influx of taxis, cars, and noisy cycle rickshaws, all catering to Il Bottaccio's events.
With extremely limited parking for service vehicles, the addition of an 'Uber Hub' at the junction of Bidborough Street and Judd Street only exacerbates the problem. The proposal would transform our neighbourhood into a chaotic, traffic-dominated zone, stripping away the community cohesion we've worked so hard to maintain.
This reckless plan undermines Camden's own goals to reduce traffic and pollution on Judd Street - having closed vehicular access to the Euston Road - only to hand over our streets to a business that is intent on encouraging alcoholic consumption until the early hours of the morning.
The close proximity to Kings Cross further raises the risk of drug use and antisocial behaviour, turning our neighbourhood into a haven for late night revellers rather than a safe community, Serious office workers can relax in the many hospitality businesses that exist already. The addition of cafes and bars inside the Town Hall does nothing to help the local economy.
We must act now to stop this destructive proposal in to preserve the character and safety of our local streets. Our residential neighbourhood is not a playground for disruptive partygoers - it's our home. Let's stand together to protect it.
Co-workers tend to go home at reasonable hours in the evening, it is revellers that will make use of the late night licence.
IN DUE COURSE THERE WILL BE A LICENSING COMMITTEE MEETING TO DECIDE THE LICENCE APPLICATION