News on HS2 in Camden

Drummond Street in Camden, London - a street famed for its South Asian cuisine - has secured £650,888 for a revitalisation programme after Camden Borough Council, in partnership with Euston Town BID, was successful in its application to the HS2 Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF).  The sum is the biggest BLEF award to date.

The Drummond Street Neighbourhood Revival project will transform Drummond Street turning it into an even more enticing food destination hub. Three new gateways, from Hampstead Road and either end of North Gower Street, will welcome customers into a refreshed Drummond Street with improved overhead lighting and new street furniture. A communal space will be created in a paved area behind businesses in Foundry Mews for customers, businesses  and residents to use. Improvements will be made to shop frontages, repainting facades, and creating new signage, murals, illuminations and artwork for the street. The project will be delivered in three stages and the first stage, which this funding is for, is scheduled for completion in Autumn 2021.

Camden Council and Euston Town BID (Business Improvement District) have worked with Jan Kattein Architects to develop the proposals following an extensive consultation with the business traders and the community. The proposals take into account the needs of local traders as well as the community and customers, and are set to be transformational for this area of Camden. The Euston Town BID has also contributed £160,000 match funding to the project.

Two food festivals will be held as part of the project, with entertainment and community involvement. This will be an opportunity for the traders on the street to showcase their goods and services. In response to the current pandemic funding will be allocated for more immediate projects that will help traders in relaunching their businesses safely. The funding will also be used to deliver workshops for the Drummond Street businesses, which will increase the capacity of businesses by providing up to date training and support.

The funding has come from the HS2 Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF), part of a combined total of £40million in funding available to local communities and businesses that are demonstrably disrupted by the construction of Britain’s new high speed railway between London and the West Midlands. This is the largest award that has been made from the Funds to date and the project will join the other 113 projects between London and the West Midlands that have also benefitted.

The independent administration of these funds is managed on behalf of HS2 Ltd by the charity Groundwork who will ensure both funds remain available for applications throughout the construction of Phase One. Read the Groundwork annual review.

A series of videos and case studies about projects that have received HS2 funds can be found here.

Community and business groups interested in applying for the fund can find out more at www.hs2funds.org.uk

If you have any questions about the funds you can contact Groundwork UK directly during normal business hours on 0121 237 5880 or contact our HS2 Helpdesk team all day every day on HS2enquiries@hs2.org.uk or Freephone on 08081 434 434 .