This surprising London suburb is becoming the UK’s £1,000,000,000 answer to Hollywood

Just on the borders of Hampstead Heath, Kentish Town is adored for its colourful rows of houses, top-notch pubs, and diverse restaurant scene.

It’s set to become the UK’s answer to Hollywood, as plans are well underway for a £1,000,000,000 movie quarter dedicated to filmmaking.

Now, in a major milestone for the regeneration process, the planning application has been approved by Camden Council, meaning that work will start on Camden Film Quarter in 2027.

If it all goes to plan, the first phase of the development will open in 2030.

Spearheaded by real estate investment company Yoo Capital, the blueprint has been developed in partnership with the National Film and Television School and the London Screen Academy.

There’ll be a mix of creative spaces, including 11 film studios, as well as soundstages, workshop spaces and even studio tours for the public.

There’ll be green spaces galore too, with the vision aiming to ‘support local biodiversity and enhance the area’s natural environment.’ With this in mind, more than 140 new trees will be planted.

It’s good news for the local community, too, as the project is expected to create more than 5,000 new jobs.

Images show what the neighbourhood could look like once it’s finished, with public parks, and chic homes and spaces for film production.

Plus, there’ll be 485 new homes built, 50% of which will be affordable, as well as new pedestrian and cycle-friendly connections connecting Kentish Town to Gospel Oak and Hampstead Heath. Two new schools are also included in the plans, set to accommodate more than 200 students.

‘An important new neighbourhood for North London’

Andrew Usher, group managing director of developments at Places For People, said of this key milestone: ‘Camden Film Quarter is set to become an important new neighbourhood for North London and the next chapter in PfP’s placemaking journey.

‘London is facing a housing crisis that demands bold action and genuine commitment, and we believe this development is exactly the kind of response the capital needs.

‘It represents a bold vision for inclusive regeneration and long-term social value in the heart of London and something we are proud to be shaping.’

It’s no secret that the neighbouring Camden Town already has its roots firmly in the creative scene. After all, it was famously the home of Amy Winehouse, The Clash shot the cover of their debut album there, and Pink Floyd played their first-ever gig at The Roundhouse.

Plus, to this day, The Hawley Arms – favoured by Amy as well as Pete Doherty, Kate Moss and even Noel Fielding – is still plastered in various pieces of signed memorabilia, including from Amy herself, who would often serve up customers behind the bar.

The general area has also already been used for a fair share of filming, famously including About A Boy and Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the opening scene for which was filmed nearby, on Hampstead Heath.

Are you a fan of the plans? Have your say in the comments belowComment Now

Lloyd Lee, managing partner at Yoo Capital, previously told Deadline of the plans: ‘I think that you could see a family coming to do a studio tour, see how movies are made and going into spaces where someone was filming, seeing golf carts go back and forth.

’They should feel like they’re in the film and television corner of London.’

It’s no secret that Kentish Town is already a lovely place to live.

Over on the r/London Subreddit, Kentish Town local @wmgregory notes that they love living in the area because it’s ‘not Camden Town (quieter),’ and has ‘nice pubs, cafés and shops’ as well as decent transport links in the form of ‘trains, tubes, overground, and buses.’

@Tubo_Mengmeng lived in Kentish Town for a year and a half, and ‘definitely rate[s] the area personally.’

‘[It’s] just [a] low key chill nice north London neighbourhood which floats my boat a bit more than somewhere trying too hard, def has overspill/seeping of the surrounding areas into it too which helps give it a bit more of an identity,’ they add.

And in @mejogid’s opinion, Kentish Town has ‘some of the best pubs in London,’ citing local watering holes The Pineapple, The Southampton Arms, Tapping the Admiral, The Rose & Crown and The Lion & Unicorn.

A version of this article was published April 1, 2025.

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