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A wonderful and remarkable community spirit helped the Torriano
• I WAS dismayed, as many of the other Torriano troops, at the stand that the Green Party have made in deciding to side with the developer and overlook the obvious flaws in the developer’s plans (Who saved the Torriano pub? October 16).
Probably even more surprising is the fact that they visited the Torriano only two days after the hearing to “explain themselves”.
I thought this was a brave and honest thing to do, considering it had only been days since they’d condemned my family to the streets. However, by the end of the week they had decided to stick to their guns and save face, as the upcoming
by-election looms.
How very disappointing. I could just about understand their lack of knowledge of Torriano’s recent history, or their lack of involvement in what has been a high-profile community campaign for six months at least, but then to backtrack on their apology just shows the fickleness of this political party.
Furthermore, to have a stab at the council whose majority voted against plans to turn this vibrant pub into flats, was the ultimate slap in the face to a community that has campaigned tirelessly for nearly a year, against the odds, to save just one of many pubs under threat.
After all is said and done, the battle is not over to save this little gem, so now would have been a good time for the Green Party to have thrown their full support behind us and get involved with this wonderful community that has displayed remarkable spirit in a time of adversity, perhaps take a leaf out of Nick Russell’s and Ralph Scott’s Lib Dem book, or even the Labour Party, who have even supported this landmark despite the Lib Dems being at the helm of the ship and steering us out of trouble.
They actually get involved and get to know people – instead of foretelling doom and gloom for the future of the Torriano at this time of jubilation.
If we all took the defeatist attitude of the Greens nothing would ever get done.
SUZI MARTIN
Torriano landlady
Message to developers
• I WAS disappointed that Councillor Maya de Souza, the sole Green Party representative on Camden’s planning committee, voted in favour of proposals which would put the future of the Torriano pub, as it currently operates, in serious jeopardy.
I am even more disappointed that she has now chosen to use your Letters pages (October 16) to attack those councillors who turned the proposals down. To put the record straight, the planning reasons for my decision were as follows:
a) the developer’s plans would have destroyed the performance venue that currently operates very successfully in the pub basement; Camden’s development plan specifically protects community and leisure facilities;
b) the proposals would have replaced the current five-bedroom flat above the pub with two small flats which, according to Camden’s own floor-space standards, would only be suitable for occupation by a maximum of two people. So a large family-sized flat, currently used by the licensees, their family and staff, would have been lost forever.
The development plan says quite clearly that family-sized units should be protected.
Cllr de Souza’s letter completely ignores this aspect of the decision.
If the other members of the committee had followed Cllr De Souza’s lead and approved the developer’s proposals, the developer would have had no incentive to negotiate with anyone.
By turning down the proposals, members of the committee sent the clearest possible signal to developers that they must respect the principles of Camden’s development plan. These principles reflect the priorities of the local community.
CLLR DAVID ABRAHAMS
Vice-Chair of the Development Control Committee
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