Sian Berry at the Green Party conference in Brighton

THE gaping hole in Euston must not become another gold-plated opportunity for developers to build what they want.

This is the warning from Camden’s only Green councillor – who fought against the big business regeneration of the King’s Cross railwaylands more than 15 years ago. Speaking to the New Journal at her party’s annual conference in Brighton, she said residents should be shaping what goes on the land flattened around Euston to make way for HS2.

“We need the south of our borough, the area around Somers Town, one of the poorest parts of the whole of London, one of the most overcrowded parts of London – we need that land back to use for the community.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the government wants the giant site to raise billions of pounds to spend in the north – a move which has been characterised by critics as a “land grab” manoeuvre.

Cllr Berry was among the original deputees who asked for a rethink of how the land which laid barren behind King’s Cross station for years should be redeveloped before Camden gave its approval to the forest of tech offices which have been constructed there.

Green councillor Sian Berry on the Brighton promenade with the party’s co-leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay, and Ellie Chowns – who is standing in North Herefordshire

Little more than 200 family-sized units of affordable housing were built on what was Europe’s biggest development opportunity but the facelift inevitably won praise for how it transformed an area often dubbed a “red light district” and the scene of open drug dealing into a place safe for families to visit.

Camden Council secured a new block of offices in the construction works. Some of the most expensive homes on the regeneration site include the private penthouse in the gasholders, marketed at £7 million.

Cllr Berry – who is standing for parliament in the Brighton Pavilion constituency, one of four target seats at the next general election for the Greens – said she was alarmed to see government plans for Euston compared to what had happened at King’s Cross – as if it was a guide.

“We love Granary Square, the fact children can play in the fountains – it’s lovely – but we need every single piece of social housing,” she said. “Not just replaced, but replaced two-fold on that space. We cannot have another corporate-led development. The idea that it can be in some Docklands-style deal for another King’s Cross can’t be right.

“The first time I spoke in the council chamber was at the planning hearing for King’s Cross in railwaylands in 2006. Euston is currently the same: there’s a kind of a need for something to happen. But what did happen in King’s Cross was not what the local community deserved, and the same thing is in danger of happening at Euston.

“It really worries me, and after all the work that has gone into area plans.”

Sian’s bid for Brighton

SIAN Berry’s campaign to win a seat in the House of Commons is in full flow in Brighton.

Members at the conference on the south coast over the weekend could get stickers and t-shirts with her name on, while a newspaper-style leaflet outlined her hopes for the city. She is hoping to defend the constituency of Brighton Pavilion, currently held by Caroline Lucas.

Cllr Berry hinted at the last full council meeting in Camden that she would soon step down from the Town Hall chamber. She has represented Highgate ward since 2014.