ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the way in which the slender majority in Camden council was achieved. It examines problems that officers faced in trying to brief councillors on the development control subcommittee, considers the party political issues that influenced the voting, and delicate balance in the roles of officers and councillors. On major or controversial applications, decisions are made by a subcommittee of the council comprising elected councillors, with the ruling party usually having a majority. Councillor briefings are absolutely crucial for a development as substantial and complex as King’s Cross. While the leadership was regularly kept informed and was broadly in favour of the King’s Cross development, councillor Woodrow seemed at best ambivalent. Several factors contributed to the officers’ decision to pursue the case the borough solicitor had little choice. The King’s Cross planning decision was exposed to political forces and personal agendas, some of which went back a long way and had little to do with the scheme itself.
