Camden New Journal - News: Council comes under fire

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Camden New Journal - by CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS & JAMIE WELHAM
Published: 04 October 2007

Low numbers, but a loud rebuke

Council comes under fire during the first of planned regular neighbourhood meetings

A NEW council initiative of holding regular neighbourhood meetings to find out what residents really want got off to a rocky start on Thursday with a low turnout.
And if the Liberal Democrat organisers were hoping for praise for their attempts at consultation, they were mistaken as the first “Area Forum” meeting turned into be a critique of the Camden’s planning system.
Only around 15 people showed up for the meeting at the 02 centre in Finchley Road, which marked the start of a series of question and answer sessions across the borough.
Simon Inglis, a former chairman of West Hampstead Library who regularly attends West Hampstead action meetings, questioned the motive for holding the meeting in the first place.
He said. “This is an area where people have campaigned for a long time but we’ve been banging our head against a brick wall. I don’t want them to come and ask me what we want them to do – we’ve voted you in, now do it.”
Lib Dem deputy leader Councillor Flick Rea introduced the meeting as a means “to give us some kind of steer on the things that matter most to people of West Hampstead”.
Instead, she was told that the council should already know about the main problems faced by the area.
Mr Inglis said West End Lane was a “classic example of how the planning system has totally failed an area,” explaining how the independent “useful” shops such as bakers and butchers had been priced out by charity shops and cafés. “I would like to see Camden Council take a proactive stance.”
Mike Katz, a former council election candidate for Labour, said West Hampstead’s shops had become too expensive, and welcomed the return of what he called “ordinary” shops.
He also warned that West Hampstead was heading towards becoming a place made up of “transient populations” such as young professionals, while families moved away.
“The people who’ve been here for 20 years – they go in the end. There are not enough facilities,” he said.
The second meeting in the series – chaired by the Conservatives – was held in the Swiss Cottage ward on Tuesday night at Hampstead Theatre. Around 20 people turned up with the focus switching to crime and a warning that Finchley Road is becoming “a playground for yobs”.
Katharine Bligh, who lives on nearby Priory Road said: “It must be a priority to cater for the young people in the area. There is nothing for them here so no wonder they get up to no good. Instead of putting more police on the street we simply need more venues and youth clubs for them. At the moment Finchley Road is of no benefit to our society whatsoever.”
Lindy Treasurer, who lives nearby, added: “Around here the police are needed between 10pm and 6am which is precisely the time they are not around and when the streets become unsafe.”
Tory councillor Don Williams said youth provision and crime were priorities for the area. He said: “We will definitely look into the problems with youth provision and anti-social behaviour in the area. Clearly some people have specific problems that are causing a lot of distress and we must do something to make these better.”
The next area forum is at the Abbey Community Centre in Kilburn on Thursday October 11.

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