|
|
 |
| |
Future generations need to enjoy King’s
Cross too
• Councillor John Thane’s sideswipe at your
coverage of the King’s Cross debate is a classic case
of blaming the messenger while ignoring the message (Critics
savage £2 billion King’s Cross deal, March 16).
Reasoned objections were made not only by 23 local groups,
including the Green Party, but also by two of the 10 Labour
councillors on the sub committee and by the ward councillor
in his letter (Where is the housing we need? March 16).
John Thane says he wants to seize the opportunity “for
the benefit of future generations” but without a much
higher proportion of affordable and family housing, where
are these generations going to live?
Sian Berry
Camden Green Party
Kentish Town ward
• Lib Dem foghorn Paul Braithwaite claims the new King’s
Cross is ‘Office City Shrine to Mammon’. If residents
read the whole package of gains reported in your paper I’m
confident that this “spin” shouldn’t hold too
much sway with them.
However, inconsistency always being a Lib Dem strong point,
the question should really be asked: Is this the very same
Paul Braithwaite whose CV appears on the Equitable Member’s
Action Group website stating his work as a Saatchi and Saatchi
Director “specialising” in Margaret Thatcher’s
1979 Conservative Party campaign?
I’d remind Paul that it was Thatcher who promoted the
practically planning-free zone of Canary Wharf, infamously
alienating long-standing communities from a major development
in favour of big business.
Local people I talk to want action, not words. Following the
King’s Cross decision, the challenge for Camden is to
make sure the planning gains negotiated from Argent come good.
I believe that we are in a strong position to do so now and
in the future.
With the highest percentage of affordable housing achieved
in a major London development – including large numbers
of family-sized homes; leisure facilities and open spaces;
a tough employment target of 9,000 local jobs in the new development;
and a new skills and training package on hand to assist local
people with low – or no-skills into work – let me
reassure Paul that “Labour is working” for Camden
residents to share in the benefits.
CLLR Theo Blackwell
Labour Group spokesperson
• Councillor Dermot Green is pleased that the developer
Argent will pay £30,000 towards a feasibility study for
a new Maiden Lane station on the Silverlink line (Station plan
looks forward, Letters March 16).
But he is too easily satisfied. As the idea of a station has
been talked about for at least four years, why is it not already
included in the plans?
It is the role of councillors to bring a sense of urgency
to projects of this kind. When Hackney Central station was
reopened on this same line 25 years ago, it was built in record
time as a direct result of a partnership between Hackney Council,
British Rail and the government.
The Green Party, in collaboraion with our members on the London
Assembly, would bring a similar sense of urgency to Maiden
Lane.
Rachel Zatz
Camden Green Party
Cantelowes Ward candidate
• I live just up the road from King’s Cross
and I am getting really annoyed with all the complaints about
its redevelopment.
There is a huge area of derelict land which is currently completely
inaccessible to anyone for any purpose.
Redeveloping the land has been talked about for many years
and finally a decision has been made about what to do with
it. The project is never going to please everyone, so the
only way forward is to look at the bigger picture.
Two thousand more homes will be built, nearly half of them
social housing, which is great news. Twenty five thousand
new jobs will be created with a focus on training local people
so that they can compete for them and there will be new leisure
and community centres, shops and new parks.
This is good use of a huge amount of land that has been lying
idle for decades. Not everyone will agree with every aspect
of the development, but I for one think Camden Council have
made a brave decision and worked hard to get the developers
to include aspects that benefit local people.
At least something is now going to be done with a large piece
of land which hasn’t been benefiting anyone for years.
Dan Hartropp
(Address supplied)
|
|
|
|
