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Threat to rail ‘heritage’
• CAMDEN’S heritage as a “railway borough” is remarkable and its railway prominence has been emphasised by recent dramatic developments at St Pancras.
However, a recent little noticed planning application for the redevelopment of Wilkin Street Mews was lodged with the Camden planners in November.
The proposals, in my view, include relatively inoffensive ideas except for two outrageous items that threaten our heritage.
In the entirety of the long mews Network Rail intend to remove the spectacular and widely admired highly polished granite sett paving dating back to the 19th century and replace them with “concrete paviours”.
The traditional paving, evident in parts of Camden Market, gives old railway style and quality to the locality and should be retained even if it has to be relaid.
The other threatened loss would be the little office building that nestles beneath the Kentish Town West railway station arch with highly decorative coloured brickwork.
If only the façade were to be retained and a permanently open pedestrian route through the façade were to be implemented the street scene would benefit from this item of our past.
Network Rail, who seemed starved of good publicity, have a chance to enhance their reputation here by doing the right thing.
Just because it is not within a conservation area does not indicate “anything goes”.
Peter Cuming
Talacre Road, NW5
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