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Outrage of campaigners over Talacre under threat
• YOUR report (It’s the new space race in fight to preserve our parks forever, June 26) failed to mention the highly significant meeting of the four-person executive (environment) sub-group a few days earlier.
At that meeting, councillors Mike Greene, Keith Moffitt, Andrew Marshall and Flick Rea decided to follow the advice of council officers and request the Mayor of London to allow the existing Dalby Street, which links Talacre sports centre to Prince of Wales Road to be transferred to the prospective developer of a seven-storey building containing 55 flats to be built on top of it. To enable sports centre users to reach it, in due course, the developer would provide a narrow road without pavements for vehicles, managed for all time by marshals. Pedestrians would have their own alleyway on the other side of the flats.
Here are some of the choicer occurrences at and before the meeting:
* The contract between the council and developer was revised in the version issued the day before the meeting so that instead of the developer having to build the replacement routes before he receives possession of the existing Dalby Street, it will be handed over to him immediately.
* This contract contained an extra 21 lines added to the clause that is supposed to “safeguard public amenity” which in this case largely means protecting the sports centre so that it is not disadvantaged by having its access changed. We had pointed out that the text was totally inadequate. These extra lines added nothing of significance and in the hours before the meeting we obtained further legal advice to that effect. If the text is not clear, then flat owners who should have to pay for any changes in the access needs of the sports centre can be expected to resist. Either there will be litigation or the sports centre will be unable to adapt over the years. If the text is clear then the development can hardly be a commercial proposition. Who would buy a flat with such an unknown future liability? According to the developer’s own estimates at the public inquiry, the owner of a three-bedroom flat would have to pay service charges and ground rent of over £7,500pa. Since then it has been established that the 19 “affordable” flats will not be paying the costs of marshals which means the £7,500 increasing to over £9,000pa.
* The developer made a welcome public appearance at the meeting. At the public inquiry, directors of Findon Urban Lofts attended incognito (as was their right). This time a director spoke claiming that they had tried to work hard to satisfy the local community.
Unfortunately for him, the development is so flawed that nothing short of starting again, with a much smaller development and with similar or improved access to what currently exists is possible. At the meeting, six deputations eloquently made the point that there is outrage which can only increase.
* Speaking also for the developer was someone described by the chair as being probably known to everyone. He didn’t introduce himself and I and several other members of the public had no idea who he was. One was left with the feeling of being excluded from a private club.
Councillor opposition to these replacement routes came from all four of the political parties represented on the council.
Councillor Jill Fraser attended but was unable to speak due to the limitations on the number of speakers imposed by the chair.
Her contribution would have been particularly valuable as she had supported the development in the early days but recently has come out strongly against it owing to these access arrangements. The meeting coincided with letters in the press opposing the scheme from councillors Matt Sanders, Fraser, Ralph Scott and Philip Thompson who represent Haverstock and Kentish Town wards.
NICK HARDING
Talacre under Threat.Tut@hpf.org.uk
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