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Central Somers Town

The Central Somers Town masterplan has been delivered in phases over the last 10 years since it was granted planning permission in 2016 (ref 2015/2704/P). The masterplan has delivered improvements to tackle the lack of affordable housing and invested in community spaces and public realm for young people to learn, play and grow.

So far, the masterplan has delivered an inclusive play facility at Plot 10, Edith Neville Primary School and over 112 homes and improvements to the public realm of Purchese Street and Polygon Road open spaces.

We are now bringing forward the final phase of the masterplan which has been revised to respond to the current high demand for affordable homes in the borough.

Phase 1

Phase 1 saw the rejuvenation of Edith Neville Primary School, replacing the previous building which was no longer fit for purpose into a modern and bright learning environment, whilst enhancing outdoor play spaces to include a country garden and potting shed. This phase also included the new home for inclusive play facility Plot 10, which includes a large rooftop football pitch and accessible playground, and Tessa Jowell Court which provides 10 new, affordable council homes and theatre mentoring charity, Scene & Heard.

Phase 2

In 2025, we completed 34 new council homes at Mary Shelley and John Dowling House, along with a new community hall and community garden for the Coopers Lane estate, and made improvement works to the green spaces at Purchese Street and Polygon Road. An additional 68 private homes were delivered by a developer at Brill Place Tower, with funds being directly reinvested to pay for the community assets and affordable homes on the masterplan.

Phase 3

Since the original planning application was granted for 35 private sale homes on this site, we have undertaken a design review of Phase 3 designs. This aims to address key required changes following changes to building regulations and to respond directly to the high demand of affordable family-sized homes in this location.

We have received an affordable housing contribution through a Section 106 agreement with the British Library, which has enabled the final phase of the masterplan (Plot 2) to be flipped from private sale to now being delivered as 100% affordable council homes for social rent.

We hosted drop-in sessions in March 2026 to provide an update on the revised proposal for the site as part of our ongoing commitment to engaging with the local community. View the boards from our recent design consultation.