Boxpark looking to stay on Camden Town tube station site until 2032

A plot of land that will be needed when Camden Town tube station gets a second entrance may be off-limits for longer than originally expected.

The site, to the north of Camden Town station, was occupied by Buck Street Market, but in late 2023, Transport for London (TfL) bought it to secure it as a building site for the planned tube station upgrade. With the tube station upgrade currently on hold, TfL’s property arm, Places for London, leased the site to Boxpark, a shipping container-based retailer.

Site layout – over Google map

Boxpark has planning permission to occupy the site until mid-2027, but they are now seeking an extension from Camden Council that could see them on site until the middle of 2032.

One objection to the application has already been made, citing the potential delay in upgrading Camden Town station until after Boxpark move out in 2032.

However, seeking permission to occupy the site until 2032 doesn’t mean they would necessarily would do so — only that they could if they wanted to. The lease to stay there is a commercial agreement between Places for London and Boxpark, and a TfL spokesperson has confirmed that their lease allows for early termination if the station upgrade were to go ahead.

A subsequent planning application to clear and use the site for construction work would supersede the current agreement.

There would be several years’ notice of that happening anyway. Assuming TfL were to secure the funding needed for the work to start, it would likely take at least two years to go through consultation and planning approvals for the station upgrade. There would usually be a year of detailed design work after that to finalise the details before a proverbial spade is stuck in the ground.

Even if this November’s budget gave TfL all the money it needs to upgrade the station and provide the long-overdue step-free access, Boxpark would still likely expect to be able to remain in Camden past the existing planning consent, so it would still need to request an extension anyway.

A Places for London spokesperson said: “While TfL continues to seek opportunities to deliver an upgrade at Camden Town station, we are pleased to continue to bring new experiences for all to enjoy at Buck Street Market. The application for an extension for market operation by BOXPARK until 2032 would no way affect TfL’s ability to deliver a station upgrade”

Camden Town tube station upgrade concept (c) TfL

In the meantime, in addition to extending the current Boxpark planning approved through to 2032, they are also looking to replace the temporary tent roof with a more durable roof for the whole market.

If approved, the new roof would be in the style of a modern version of the classic Victorian Arcade.

Proposed Boxpark arcade – source: planning documents