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Sale of Town Hall Annexe sets dangerous precedent
• AS ward councillors for King’s Cross we are writing to thank you for your editorial this week referring to the Liberal Democrat/Conservative coalition’s plans to sell off the Town Hall extension to a private property developer.
For over six months we have been asking officers at the Town Hall to explain fully where the £15million figure for any proposed refurbishment comes from.
Quite why a very modest refurbishment could not take place escapes us. We have been told that more Camden officers will be encouraged to work from home as part of this move, but it is important that staff have a base to work from and can be supervised and held to account by residents when things go wrong.
Residents in the area have been aware of the plans to sell off the Town Hall extension since December 2008, yet nothing has been put down on paper and our Freedom of Information requests have been denied.
Reports have suggested that any private developer would need to build a 26-storey tower for it to be financially viable under the current economic climate. This would dwarf the existing properties in the area and be a blight on the local landscape.
We also remain deeply concerned that the demolition of the building would have a huge impact on the children studying at Argyle School.
Children face, at the very least, two years disruption to their learning while their playground is turned into a building site.
When the Liberal Democrat leader of Camden is offering a minimal section 106 payment to compensate for this, parents and residents in King’s Cross have rightfully been offended.
At no time has there been any mention of on-site, affordable housing, something which is desperately needed.
Camden’s ruling Liberal Democrats seem intent on selling off all their buildings and open spaces at the moment, be it the Calthorpe Project or this high-profile building on the Euston Road. In doing so they are setting a dangerous precedent. Family silver cannot be replaced when it has been sold to the highest bidder.
Cllr Abdul Hai
Cllr Geethika Jayatilaka
Cllr Jonathan Simpson
Labour, King’s Cross ward
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