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Your Letters
 
Tower in the park would be a real blot on the landscape

• I was appalled to read the news of the British land and crown estates being given permission to go ahead with their planned controversial redevelopment work on Osnaburgh Street, Longford Street and Euston Road site (Towering Row for Ex-Mayor).
What a stab in the back for the tenant and residents of the Regent’s Park Estate and especially those living next to the planned tower block site.
Many of these people I know how have fought so hard to prevent the building of the monstrous and imposing 20-storey tower block. This area already has a number of high-rise buildings, and this one will totally disfigure the landscape. It was no surprise to hear that the West Euston Partnership had given its support to the site and tower block being built, as they get funds from the site owners British Land.
And under no circumstances must the planning committees vote five-six for the tower block and site being built, especially now that we hear the deciding vote was made by Councillor Heather Johnson (Chair of the planning committee), who is also a director of West Euston Partnership.
Justice must prevail. Even with Heather Johnson’s vote, the result was too close, especially when so many council tenants and residents lives are at stake. This all smells to me and many others. If the planning committees vote is allowed to stand by Camden Council, tenants should show this New Labour Council. What they really think of it, by voting against it in the coming local elections. Where are the local councillors for the Regent’s Park Ward ie Councillor Theo Blackwell.
These councillors should be listening to and supporting the Regent’s Park tenants campaign against the tower block being built.
You may not yourselves have to live on top of this planned tower block, but you should at least defend your tenants and voters against the interest of big business. What a shame Cllr Brian Woodrow was forced off the planning committee because he supported tenants’ rights.
Ellen Luby
Address supplied

• Sir Terry Farrell’s buildings have a muscular quality which I admire and he may be right in saying that towers form part of London’s changing character (Carry On Star’s Home Goes to Make Way For Terry’s Tower, February 16), but Osnaburgh Street is cheek by jowl to Regent’s Park and a tower of some 20 storeys here would undoubtedly dominate and further compound the damage inflicted on its pastoral quality by the baleful presence of Joe Levy’s Euston Centre, a tower that, arguably, should never have been erected over 40 years ago.
I believe it is not widely acknowledged by the powers that be that the Royal Parks are one of London’s greatest assets, if not the greatest. Which other capital city has such a wealth of wonderful and varied green space at its heart?
An act of architectural deference is required by the architect, the Crown Estate and British Land. I am confident that all three are capable of standing back to acknowledge the special qualities of Regent’s Park, a stance that British Land in particular should not find difficult as it has long occupied offices in Decimus Burton’s Cornwall Terrace – within the park.
George Tuffs
Willoughby House
Barbican, EC2

• Defending his proposed tower block near Albany Street, Sir Terry Farrell says many such towers “are quite liked.”
I would suggest that readers check out The Visage, the controversial development on the site of the old Swiss Cottage market based on a Farrell design, and decide whether they “quite like” it or if they think it is a blot on the landscape.
By the way, New York’s Central Park is flanked by handsome pre-war apartment buildings, not modern skyscrapers.
E Stein
Rona Road, NW3
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