Conservationists and local residents have lined up against plans to demolish an historic medical building in Huntley Street which was opened in 1927 by Neville Chamberlain. Camden’s planning officers are, however, recommending approval of the plans and councillors are due to make a decision on the application at tonight’s meeting. UCLH want to demolish the former UCL Student Union and Royal Ear Hospital and construct a six-storey building, with three basement levels, to create a new head and neck outpatient hospital. Bloomsbury Conservation Area Advisory Committee (CAAC) and Gordon Mansions Residents Association are both strongly opposing the plans because they say UCLH is trying to maximise floor area on the site by concentrating three hospital sites within one huge building. Hugh Cullum of the Bloomsbury CAAC wrote to Camden saying the conservation body were “appalled to see that the proposal was now to demolish” the Royal Ear Hospital and that they were so disgusted with the plans that they walked out of a pre-planning meeting with UCLH. “We were extremely disappointed to discover that the revised scheme failed to preserve the really very fine existing entry facade to the original hospital. “It has some extremely good carving and brickwork and is really one of the few remaining [...]![]()
