Comments on the plans for the Gasholder Triplets and local health and education

At the meeting on 17 September Argent and the architects (Wilkinson Eyre) provided a presentation about the reuse of the Gasholder Triplets. The refurbished gasholder frames will surround apartment buildings that have surface colours and finishes intended to evoke gasholder bells.

The presentation, available here, includes several images of the gasholder frames (before and after refurbishment) and of the open spaces (both public and private) as well as of the surface colours and finishes.

Among the concerns raised by members of the Forum were:

• The provision for bicycles and electric cars (which comply with planning requirements now but which will become inadequate in some years).
• The need for interpretation boards to explain how the buildings related to the original gasholders.

Aideen Dunne, of Camden and Islington Public Health, described the report by her organisation on the options for primary care provision in the King’s Cross area. The NHS (not Camden and Islington Public Health) will decide between the options. Members of the Forum were very dissatisfied that the report appeared to ignore the distinctive characteristics of the area, such as the numbers of railway travellers and commuters (who can choose medical services in the area), and that little progress been made towards reaching an adequate decision.

Finally the head teacher and the nursery manager of the primary school spoke about the school principles and the teaching practicalities. The school will open in Building P1 for the 2015 intake.

The discussions on all these topics are outlined in the minutes of the meeting.

The next meeting, on Wednesday 26 November, will be the annual review meeting.