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Letters to the Editor
 
South End Green debacle is responsibility of the Town Hall

I feel saddened by the lack of vision and support expressed in some of the letters in last week’s CNJ regarding the current works at South End Green.
The Steering Group that was set up in 2004 worked tirelessly in an effort to get Camden to agree to allow works to the Green to improve the area for the benefit of both the community and visitors alike.
This was an area that had largely become a drop-in for street drinkers and as a result, was avoided by the wider community.
Having sought public opinion, Save Our Green (SOG), led by Jeska Harrington, and the South End Green Steering Group, received an overwhelming response that residents would welcome improvements to the Green. It is true to say that these improvements have not progressed without issue. However some of the concerns raised in last week’s letters have been incorrectly attributed to SOG whereas they are actually a direct result of the poor management of the project by Camden Council’s environment department – who it should be noted only agreed to the works on the proviso that they maintained full control of them.
The works were originally scheduled to commence in October 2005 with a date for completion given as six weeks from the start date.
Requests made by members of SOG and the steering group, seeking reasons for the ongoing delays and also the lack of care displayed in carrying out the works, have either gone unanswered or have been met with vague, uninformative responses.
In the midst of the chaos, Camden, having already agreed the designs and budget, attempted to increase the project costs (which are being met privately) and when this request was turned down, they made their best endeavours to reduce the specification – neither of which, due to the firm stance taken by SOG, they have succeeded in doing.
I would also like to allay any fears that once the works have finally been completed, the Green will be allowed to return to its run-down state as provision has already been made for maintenance to the area.
Once again the costs for this are being met by the community. I shall be seeking answers to the issues raised and shall be directing these to Camden’s environment department. However, given that Camden’s view is that SEG “has always been and always will be nothing more than a bus terminus”, I remain realistic as to what their response might be.
Kirsty Roberts
South End Close representative on the South End Green Steering Group
and Conservative Candidate for Hampstead Town Ward


The new Marks and Spencer development in South End Green is reaching its completion and I find myself thinking, “My God what have they done?”
It truly is a design disaster and it is quite clear that the idiots who are responsible for this mess have no concept of style or community. I have very little knowledge of architecture but even I can see that this white elephant sticks out like a sore thumb.
The GHP group have built a monster, which looks like an extension of the 1970s’-style hospital rather than the surrounding Victorian buildings. Why? I thought we were living in 2006 not 1976.
Unlike the original architects of the area this band of crooks and fat cats (who all live in Surrey) quite obviously couldn’t care less about the people of South End Green. The developers and Marks and Spencer have delivered something, which looks like a cheep sterile, inhuman breezeblock nightmare, and is completely out of place where it stands. As far as I’m concerned they should knock the monster down.
J Charlton
Castlehaven road
NW1

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@camdennewjournal.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Tuesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.
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