Camden New Journal - News: Library land row

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Camden New Journal - by PAUL KELITHY
Published: 9 August 2007

James Purnell

Library land row deepens

Residents to fight proposed road they say is part of plans to sell site

SOMERS Town residents have launched a petition to fight a proposed new road which they claim is a key target in the mounting battle to keep a plot of land behind the British Library in public hands.
More than 150 residents have asked Camden Council to block an application by the British Library to build a new access road from Ossulston Street into the site.
Ossulston tenants’ and residents’ association secretary Helia Evans said on Monday: “We think this road is too close to too many schools and would be dangerous once traffic started using it and increasing on Ossulston street. It could also be used as a link to the private development if that does happen.”
The road will replace the existing route to the car park and open ground behind the British Library, which runs through a three-acre plot of prime land earmarked for sale by its owners the Department for Culture Media and Sport.
While more than 150 developers expressed an interest in the site by last week’s August 2 deadline, campaigners including Holborn and St Pancras MP Frank Dobson have lobbied for the land, nominally valued at £27m in a parliamentary statement by junior minister David Lammy, to be kept in public hands and used for social housing or sports facilities.
Camden Co-operative Party chairman Alan Spence added to the campaign by arguing for an Olympic swimming pool on the site in the New Journal’s Forum page this week, (see page 19)
But Culture Secretary James Purnell was unavailable for interview. A DCMS spokeswoman said on his behalf: “The government took the decision to sell the site in order to secure best value for taxpayers’ money, following DCLG’s guidance. We are in the early stages of the sale process and have sought expressions of interest which are being evaluated at the moment.
“This is NOT something that DCMS could - or should – become involved in.”
A British Library spokeswoman said the application was “to enable the future closure of the existing access from Brill Place/Midland Road”, and confirmed that the Library was involved in a land swap with DCMS which would free up some of the site for sale.

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