Policy information sourced from Camden Local Plan

TC2 Camden’s Centres and Other Shopping Areas

The Council will promote successful and vibrant centres throughout the borough to serve the needs of residents, workers and visitors.

We will:

  • seek to protect and enhance the role and unique character of each of Camden’s centres, ensuring that new development is of an appropriate scale and character for the centre in which it is located;
  • provide for and maintain, a range of shops including independent shops, services, food, drink and entertainment and other suitable uses to provide variety, vibrancy and choice;
  • make sure that food, drink, entertainment and other town centre uses do not have a harmful impact on residents and the local area and focusing such uses in King’s Cross and Euston Growth areas, Central London Frontages, and Town Centres (Refer to Policy TC4 Town centre uses);
  • support and protect Camden’s Neighbourhood Centres, markets and areas of specialist shopping, local shops; and
  • pursue the individual planning objectives for each centre, as set out in supplementary planning document Camden Planning Guidance on town centres and retail, and through the delivery of environmental, design, transport and public safety measures.

The Council has designated primary and secondary frontages in its centres, which are shown on the Local Plan Policies Map. We will:

  • protect the primary frontages as locations with a high proportion of shops (A1) in order to maintain the retail function of the centre; and
  • protect the secondary frontages as locations for shops (A1) together with a broader range of other town centre uses to create centres with a range of shops, services, and food, drink and entertainment uses which support the viability and vitality of the centre.

The Council’s expectations for the mix and balance of uses within frontages for each designated centre are set out in Appendix 4.

Housing above and below shops

The Council supports the development of housing within centres and Central London including above and below shops where this does not prejudice the town centre function and particularly the ability of the ground floor to be used for town centre uses.

Housing in protected frontages

In order to protect the retail and town centre function of our centres the Council will only permit conversion of retail and other town centre uses to residential use on the protected frontages where it does not harm the role and character of the centre, including maintaining the supply of shop premises in centres across the borough.

Neighbourhood Centres

The Council will seek to retain convenience shopping for local residents in Camden’s Neighbourhood Centres and will ensure that development in them does not harm the function, character or success of that centre.

Design of new retail spaces

New retail spaces should be of high quality, provide generous storey heights and incorporate room for signage.

For more information please see the Local Plan