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Your Letters
 
I'm still keen to see democracy at work

• I attended the planning committee meeting at Camden Town Hall part of which concerned the proposed mortuary in Oakford Road, around the corner from where I live.
I had never been to such a meeting and was eager to see democracy at work, a naive illusion which was shattered only a few minutes into the proceedings when the chair, Councillor Heather Johnson, began by berating us all (and there were a large number of residents present) for being so naughty as to have deluged the committee with our emails and letters.
Apparently this gave too much work to the committee (presumably they are busy with more important matters than hearing the views of people they are supposed to be listening to).
Cllr Johnson’s dismissive manner continued for the rest of the evening whenever she had to address the rabble (we, the people) and put us in our place.
My second shock came when I leafed through the voluminous report, copies of which were available at the door. Concerning Application No 4 (for the mortuary), The Yard, 2A Oakfod Road, NW5, listed under ‘Against the Application’ were only nine names, whereas 314 letters objecting to the mortuary were sent. Under ‘In Support of the Application’ 108 names were listed, many of which were of businesses and/or of people not living in the streets affected by the mortuary plan. Something fishy was afoot. When I asked someone why the 300-plus letters of protest were not included, I was told that they did not mention the word “submissions” or had been sent to the wrong clerk, or something.
Whoever received our 300-plus protest letters, if they were moderately intelligent human beings and not robots, must have realised which application the letters referred to and therefore which file they belonged under.
Apparently they did not and those letters are lost in a Camden black hole. By some magic, however, the “supporting” letters found their way to the proper pigeonholes. Coincidence, of course.
By this time, I was not surprised when Cllr Johnson, in her best headmistress tone, threatened us all with eviction from the chamber if we did not stop applauding after the deputation given by Felicia Olney and Roz Maxwell (representing the Burghley, Lady Somerset and Oakford Roads Residents Association).
Ms Olney clearly and concisely presented the facts and precise reasons for the neighbourhood’s objections to the mortuary, all of which can be read in the report.
The response to our deputation given by Ms Roslyn Cassidy, whose company Green Endings is the applicant for the mortuary, did not satisfactorily address our specific concerns but dwelt mainly on what a loving, caring and green funeral service her company provides.
The letters she collected to back up her application are like references from satisfied customers and wholly irrelevant to the issues we address.
Nobody has objected to Green Endings per se or questioned the company’s reputation. Our concerns are legitimate practical, physical, environmental and psychological concerns by those of us who live close to the proposed mortuary.
When the voting at the end of the session went in favour of the application, it was clear that “proposed” was a euphemism for “foregone conclusion”.
Democracy at work? Hopefully, this is not the end of the story.
Natalie d’Arbeloff
Lady Somerset Road, NW5
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