345 student rooms are planned at Shirley House, 25-27 Camden Road, 75% more than the draft Local Plan's 197. Historic England warns of harm. Comments close 1 Nov.
The former British Transport Police headquarters on Camden Road would become a ten-storey block of 345 student rooms under plans now with Camden Council.
That is 148 more rooms than the council’s draft Local Plan suggests for the site. Historic England says the extra height would harm the Regent’s Canal Conservation Area and nearby listed buildings. Residents have until Sunday 1 November to comment.
What is planned
Shirley House, at 25-27 Camden Road, is a seven-storey office block from 1965 on the corner of Camden Street, beside the Regent’s Canal. British Transport Police left it in December 2024, and it has since been let on a temporary basis.
Kilburn and District Properties Ltd has applied for planning permission 2026/3757/P, registered on 28 September. Its planning statement and the architects’ accommodation schedule set out the scheme:
- the existing frame is kept and three storeys are added on top
- a new six-storey wing replaces the car park on Camden Street
- 345 student bedspaces: 239 studios and 106 rooms in shared clusters
- 23 wheelchair-accessible rooms
- about 145 sq m of commercial, cultural or community space on Camden Road and Camden Street
- a gym, study rooms and a sixth-floor roof terrace for residents
- new steps down to the canal, and removal of the existing deck over the water
The highest part would reach ground plus nine storeys, the schedule shows.
No affordable homes on site
An earlier version included 16 affordable homes in a separate block. The planning statement says that block was dropped after talks with council officers, who agreed a single building would work better on the constrained site.
Instead the developer would pay towards affordable housing elsewhere in Camden. The council’s own viability adviser, BPS, put the figure at about £13.7 million. The applicant’s adviser had calculated £13.29 million.
The statement says this payment replaces the affordable student rooms that London Plan policy would normally expect. It also says officers confirmed no late-stage viability review is needed.
What Historic England and the Canal & River Trust say
Historic England’s response, dated 13 October, supports redeveloping the site. It says the current building adds nothing to the conservation area, and it welcomes keeping the existing structure.
But it has “concerns about the quantum of development”. It says the height and bulk would be “incongruous” with this part of the conservation area. It would harm the setting of:
- the Grade II listed Sainsbury’s building on Camden Road, by Nicholas Grimshaw
- the Grade II listed early 19th century terraces at 18-62 Camden Road
It also points out that the draft Local Plan allocates the site, as C16, for student housing with an indicative capacity of 197. The application is “considerably more”. Historic England asks the council to weigh the harm against the scheme’s public benefits.
The Canal & River Trust replied on 16 October. It says the extra three storeys, at least 10 metres, would add to a “sense of overbearing and enclosure” on the towpath. Its suggestions include:
- keeping the canal-side blocks to a maximum of six storeys above street level
- raising the opening at the new canal steps by one level, to reveal more of the Camden Street bridge
- redesigning the outside lighting, which it says spills over the water in a bat corridor
- clarity on whether the canal-side garden will be public or gated
The developer’s statement argues the draft allocation underestimates the site, and that its plans were cut from four extra storeys to three during pre-application talks.
What it means for you
You can comment until Sunday 1 November, the end of the statutory period shown on the council’s records. Use the online comments form or email planning@camden.gov.uk with the reference 2026/3757/P. The council says it takes account of comments received right up until a decision.
The Greater London Authority’s planning register lists the application for a committee decision, with a target date of 25 December. We will report the committee date when it is set.
For other schemes near you, see our Camden planning news page.
Sources
- Camden Council planning record for 2026/3757/P and the application documents, read 17 October 2026.
- Camden open data, planning applications, for the applicant, ward and dates.
- Greater London Authority planning datahub, for the decision route, comment deadline and target date.
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