A major £500m mixed-use regeneration project close to London’s King’s Cross knowledge quarter has been given the green light, paving the way for hundreds of new homes and substantial employment space.

The development, led by Camden Council in partnership with Ballymore and Lateral, will transform a complex site at Camley Street, bordered by railway lines and split by a major road. Delivered through the Council’s Community Investment Programme, the scheme is being positioned as a model for how local authorities can unlock challenging inner-city locations.

Planning approval covers the unification of two brownfield sites to provide 401 new homes alongside more than 350,000 sq ft of office and employment space. Around half of the homes will be classed as genuinely affordable. The scheme will be built across six buildings ranging in height from eight to 30 storeys.

Site A will be led by Camden as developer and will feature three interconnected mixed-use residential blocks, designed in terracotta and red brick, rising between eight and 13 storeys. Site B will accommodate a 30-storey residential tower, a 12-storey commercial building, and an eight-storey mixed-use block with homes above ground-floor commercial space.

Under the agreed structure, Camden is providing the land on a long leasehold basis to the joint venture. While Ballymore will oversee demolition works on Site B, the Council will initially fund these works, with costs later reimbursed through partner contributions and the first land receipt payment. More than 200 private-sale homes delivered by Ballymore will generate capital receipts, which Camden plans to reinvest into the delivery of social housing on Site A and other Community Investment Programme projects.

The proposals are rooted in a landscape-led approach, prioritising walking and cycling routes, public squares and play spaces designed to enhance health, wellbeing and biodiversity. A car-free strategy will improve connections to Regent’s Canal and protect future links to the proposed Camden Highline, reflecting a broader national shift towards low-car, active-travel neighbourhoods.

Camden Council estimates the development will create more than 1,000 job and training opportunities, including apprenticeships and school placements. These are intended to open pathways into life science, technology and digital careers for local residents, while maximising the wider economic benefits of the scheme.

The first homes are expected to be ready for occupation by late 2030. The project team includes architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios and Morris + Company, with Hoare Lea providing MEP services and Aecom and Gardiner & Theobald acting as cost consultants.

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