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COMMENT
 
Petty politics over King's X

UGLY petty politics reared its head at the Town Hall last night (Wednesday) during the debate over the very future of King’s Cross.
Before the planning committee members lay heavy reports, more than 800-pages thick, setting out a proposed redevelopment of acres of derelict space around St Pancras and King’s Cross stations.
This project, costing several billion pounds, will not only change the face of that area but will also affect neighbouring areas – land values will rise bringing about higher property prices and thousands of extra people will come into the area to work in the new office blocks. The effect of these changes will wash up in places further afield, Camden Town, Holborn and parts of Islington.
Never has Camden Council been asked to take such grave planning decisions since its formation 40 years ago.
Yet what happens within a short time of the start of this historic meeting? A set-to between the chairwoman of the committee, Councillor Heather Johnson, and a veteran committee member Brian Woodrow. She asked him to leave the chamber because of a long-standing feud over his right to sit on any committee deliberation of the King’s Cross scheme. He was accused last year of bias against the project, and faces a Standards Board inquiry.
We believe Woodrow was right to refuse to leave his seat.
For years he was regarded at the Town Hall as a safe pair of hands as a committee chairman.
Woodrow was known as a member who viewed applications judiciously. He was never drawn to rash decisions.
Cautiously and carefully – too conservatively some would say – he has navigated his way through committee decision making.
More than that, he has been involved for decades in planning debates, especially involving King’s Cross and Holborn. In the 1970s he played a significant part in the successful campaign to save the elegant 19th-century houses in Calthorpe Street.
Few, if any of the present committee, can equal his experience.
In taking a decision of such momentous importance surely it would be politics at the pettiest level to suggest Woodrow should not participate in the King’s Cross debate.
Yet somehow Cllr Johnson was driven to take such a petty course
We remain of the opinion that the decision-making process for this application is fatally flawed.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the final report has been virtually sprung on the committee at the last moment.
Committee members should have been given far more time to digest it than a mere 16 days! Bad decisions outlive the politicians who make them.
 
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