The 02 shopping centre is one of the best known buildings on the Finchley Road

• HAVING tried to respond to the consultation on the proposed O2 Centre redevelopment, I became very frustrated at all the “tick-box” sections without the ability to make a collective observation, (The O2 shopping centre faces demolition, December 24).

So here is mine: while the idea of a town square and linear park sounds very attractive, as does that of opening up through-access between Finchley Road and West Hampstead, the proposed figure of up to 2,000 homes is grossly excessive. This sort of figure implies numerous tower blocks, which is the last thing the site needs.

London is dominated by these monstrosities everywhere one goes; and to build even more on what is an open site would destroy the much vaunted advantage of the greening of the site, apart from all the recent concerns about fires and escape risks.

If provided, housing should be a mixture of low-rise and maybe some blocks up to a maximum of three storeys, the latter preferably at the edge of the site, not in the middle.

And more than half must be social housing or for low rent, otherwise it would be a wicked waste of site potential with Camden crying out for social and family homes of varying sizes.

To provide luxury flats and expensive housing would be a crime; but one can see the developers rubbing their hands at such potential despite their declared good intentions. Exactly the same has happened around King’s Cross and Somers Town.

While no one could claim that the present O2 is an architectural masterpiece it provides the essential Sainsbury’s supermarket and around 10 cinema screens.

Most of the other chain restaurants and cafés would not be missed and could be found elsewhere, but Sainsbury’s is widely used, as is obvious from the packed car park on most days. It is critical that it be retained whether or not other work is approved.

Similarly, despite all the arguments about car use, the car park is essential for families, the elderly, and those who cannot easily use public transport, especially if one has three or four heavy bags of shopping.

The Vue cinema is another asset and should be retained in any building on the site as it is the only reasonably priced one in the area and the number of screens give plenty of choices for viewing.

The West Hampstead end of the site is another matter. The car park that end is very little used and the Homebase store is not so essential.

That half of the site I would support being used, as proposed, for housing and critical green space, preferably with mature trees to soften the impact, and an attractive approach from West Hampstead.

All the fine-sounding proposals about the town square, children’s playground, cafés, fine dining restaurants, gyms, etc, could be fitted in if space permits, but the critical car park space for Sainsbury’s must be retained in some form, and not like the dreadful underground one in Camden Town; another reason for keeping the Finchley Road store.

I support the proposals in principle but with the restrictive qualifications I have listed, mainly the retention of Sainsbury’s with car park provision, no tower blocks, and no cramming of the site which would undo all the greening advantages the developers are claiming.

JOHN STRATTON
Thurlow Road, NW3