The dream of transforming a disused railway viaduct into a high-level park, known as the Camden Highline, has been officially abandoned. The project, which was envisioned as a 'New Park In The Sky For London,' aimed to create a kilometre-long green corridor between Camden Town and King’s Cross. However, this week the team behind the initiative announced that it would not progress beyond the planning stage.
A Vision That Failed to Take Off
The Camden Highline was the brainchild of Lord Simon Pitkeathley, chief executive of the Camden Town Business Improvement District (BID). Launched in 2017, the project was estimated to cost around £55 million. Despite initial enthusiasm, rumours of financial troubles had been circulating for some time, fuelled by the Highline team's consistent refusal to answer questions about the scheme's viability.
On Tuesday, a press release confirmed that the project was being 'paused.' However, critics argue that this is a euphemism for cancellation. More than £2 million of public money and private donations have been spent on the project since its inception.
Call for Accountability
Campaigners are now demanding answers. Kate Gemmell, chair of the Tenants and Residents Association of Camden Town (TRACT), has called for Lord Pitkeathley to resign from his role at Camden Town Unlimited, the BID that drove the Highline project. She stated that the scheme suffered from a lack of foundational work, including unresolved legal issues regarding the use of Camden Gardens as an access point. 'At no point did they have a clear and viable financial plan. There was a lot of public money taken away from other, important projects,' she said.
The use of Camden Gardens was restricted by a 1931 act protecting London squares, which Ms Gemmell claims the Highline team ignored when proposing it as an entry point.
Funding Sources and Controversy
The project received £400,000 from a Section 106 planning agreement with King’s Cross developers Argent, originally intended for improvements to the 214 bus service. A crowdfunding campaign raised over £65,000, and additional funding came from Camden Market owners Lab Tech. Pressure group Future Transport London, which opposed the project, alleges that further monies were obtained from a Community Investment Levy and HS2, though a Highline spokesperson disputes this.
The Highline’s PR firm attributed the cancellation to 'rising costs and a challenging fundraising environment.' However, opponents describe this as 'fishing for excuses' to cover what they call a costly white elephant.
Reactions and Future Implications
Chris Barker, chairman of Future Transport London, welcomed the decision: 'We are delighted this outrageous scheme, which hijacked money intended to improve bus routes around Camden and would have scuppered plans to increase capacity on the overcrowded Mildmay line, has at last been abandoned.'
In a statement, Lord Pitkeathley expressed gratitude and regret: 'I am truly grateful and deeply sorry. Despite the outstanding advice and commitment of experts, this extraordinarily ambitious challenge has, for now, proved a stretch too far. Green infrastructure in cities matters. Finding space for it is rare. And battling through the treacle to make projects like this happen is difficult, lengthy, and expensive. Which is why today’s announcement is so painful to make.'
