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Ignore Dalby Street anger at your peril
• SO the Fulford pere and fils have employed high-powered global PR company Weber Shandwick to fight the residents' reluctance to accept their proposed encroachment of their only Open Space at Talacre Gardens (John Gulliver 'Father and son developers break their silence', Nov 30).
It seemed that the Fulfords had underestimated the residents' ability to analyse their dubious proposal for the closure of Dalby Street.
They had better watch out. No army is as powerful and lethal as the one which is made up of dedicated ordinary people on "the side of the angels" and understanding where the enemy is coming from.
Messrs Fulford's mouthpiece to praise their virtue is no other than a former Camden Labour Party agent and now a Labour Councillor Luke Akehurt.
Everyone has been wondering over these past few weeks prior to the Kentish Town by-election which side the various parties were on with regards to the Talacre Gardens debacle. We might not know yet where the others stand, but it is now safe to assume that a Labour stalwart is clearly supporting developers.
KS HASTINGS
Fitzjohn's Avenue, NW3
• JOHN Gulliver ventures to guess that the Fulfords' property deal at Dalby Street looks set to scoop up to £20 million by building 54 flats on land sold by Camden Council ('Father and son developers break their silence', November 30).
By now, everyone is aware the developers have already cashed in £3.5 millions from the sale of their tiny house on the site.
Your readers have been wondering how much the developers are paying for the privilege of acquiring a substantial piece of our former open space land and busy public highway (Dalby Street), but have been told by the council that "the terms of the sale are confidential as they are commercially sensitive" ('All hush over Dalby Street plan', Nov 2).
The truth, however, may have been staring us in the face. It would seem that there is no secrecy whatsoever. A January 10, 2006, agreement (which is the relevant document for the purpose of the application for the Dalby Street closure) is, in fact, registered with the HM Land Registry. Disecting this document, the sums the developers must pay are as follows:
£68,638 marked for education; £15,000 contribution for the stopping-up of Dalby Street; £10,000 for improvement works at the Sports Centre; a sum between £89,000 and £102,000 for highway contribution towards the alterations demanded at Prince of Wales Road for their scheme; £3,000 for Traffic Management Orders and £2,000 for legals.
There is also the necessity to provide 14 affordable housing units. This, however, is presumably to be paid by the Community Housing Association (also a party to the agreement) through a Government grant. Another 5 affordable housing units are to be shared ownership units. These, I would surmise, would be eventually sold off and the cost recouped by the developers or not, as the case may be. In any event, each of those fiv units costing an average of (let's say) £100,000, the cost to Trac Properties Ltd up front would be in the region of £250,000.
The total cost from the developer's pocket appears to be a minimum of £437,638. Allowing another possible extra cost of £13,000 for highway contribution and another (let's say) £10,000 for temporary road access, the figure would still be well under £500,000.
There is no mention anywhere in those publicly registered documents of other moneys (either stated or otherwise "confidential") to be paid to acquire the public land on which the Dalby Street scheme is to be built.
That would seem, therefore, to be the conclusion of any financial dealings between the developers and the taxpayers of Camden.
CELINE LA FRENIERE
Talacre Rd, NW5
• RE: "Fury as developer confirms green space will be sliced in two" (30 Nov)
Naturally, the coalition seemed pleased they were put in power at the last local election. Winning the prize, however, is the beginning not the end. Much needs to be accomplished before they deserve to feel secure.
Labour left a mess behind, not least for our neighbourhood is the Dalby Street problem. It is no use Lib Dems and Conservatives sweeping this one under the carpet and promise that they will do better elsewhere in the future.
Had Labour left a clean, tidy record they would probably not have been ousted by the electorates in the first place.
Labour were ousted because they became arrogant and did not take care of business as they should have.
For whatever reason, they abandoned their duty of care to residents of Camden. If the Coalition shirks its responsibility and grants the stopping up of Dalby Street without an inquiry and therefore, allow Talacre Gardens to be taken over (permanently) by a private developer, the Coalition will be distrusted forever after.
Why do we say the granting of the Dalby Street closure will necessarily mean a permanent traffic access to Talacre Gardens when the developer claims the road across the park will only be temporary?
Even the average resident in our area now knows that the scheme the developer is wanting to build on the land available to him is too big to fit in the site. His suggested two-way replacement road to Dalby Street, for one thing, is substandard. It will not be "fit for purpose".
If Camden grants the stopping of Dalby Street in such circumstances, they will be jointly responsible for the cock-up. Once the project is built, the council will have to come to the rescue if only to safeguard the Talacre Gardens Community Sports Centre.
Overnight the temporary access road would become permanent and a precious small park destroyed.
This must not be allowed to happen. Residents of Camden will never, ever forgive the coalition for it if they did it.
BEVERLY GARDNER
Chair of Athlone Tenants Association
Athlone Street, NW5
• I AM quite shocked to read about Talacre Gardens being under threat by a private developer in what seems to be a secret deal with Town Hall officials and the council (Fury as developer confirms green space will be sliced in two - Nov 30).
How could this be? Aren't such matters supposed to be the subject of public consultation? Or was this controversial piece of the jigsaw kept from the application for the closure of Dalby Street in the certain knowledge that it would have the effect it has, in fact, had with your readers.
The more I read about this unwholesome affair, the more appalled I become. Surely, our newly elected Council won't dare go through with this stopping up of Dalby Street without a public inquiry.
As for the use of Talacre Gardens as a temporary or otherwise route to the Talacre Sports Centre, that is totally unacceptable by any standard, anywhere in the borough. The last time there was a borough-wide revolt, it was about the proposed sale of the Kentish Town Baths. It killed Labour's chance for re-election. Is this what the new Council want?
JJ THIBEAULT
Perrins Lane
NW3
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