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By TOM FOOT
 

The centre in Whitfield Street
Fears over 'doomed' play area

Decision 'after polls'

ANGRY residents fear for the future of a former children’s centre in Fitzrovia after the Town Hall refused to deny claims that it might be sold off for development.
The centre, in Whitfield Street, was closed by Camden Council in July 2004 to free up funds for another children’s centre in Regent’s Park.
But the Fitzrovia Trust and the Charlotte Street Association, who are keen to reopen the site as it is one of the few areas of open land in the area, fears that the council is planning to sell the land to developers after the local elections on May 4.
Max Neufeld, the chairman of the Fitzrovia Trust, said that Camden Council had already ignored their offers to revive the playground.
Members of the Fitzrovia Trust and Charlotte Street Association tabled plans to foot the bill for reopening the Children’s Centre in Whitfield Street.
The groups claim the council stalled in discussions over the site after discovering the children’s centre was built on a 19th-century burial ground where two of Karl Marx’s infant children are buried.
But the Town Hall’s legal team gave the green light for development paving the way for a new playground.
Mr Neufeld said the council had refused to acknowledge their offer and fears the lucrative plot will be sold off for luxury flats.
He believes the council’s silence spells doom for the green space and has called for Cllr Theo Blackwell, the deputy leader for Camden and community development chief, to “come clean” before the council elections.
He said: “It’s unbelievable. We are talking about a small amount of money with a minimum amount of work. The centre could be reopened by the summer. Their actions completely go against their commitment to childcare.
“It’s all a bit mysterious. Clearly, given the closeness of the local election and the marginal nature of the Bloomsbury Ward, any plans for reopening would have been announced with fanfares and trumpets. Failure to do so only confirms local belief that after the election the site will be sold, a possibility the Council admits is under consideration.”
Theo Blackwell, the deputy leader of Camden and community development chief, said that a decision would be made about its future following the elections. He said: “We have no power to come to a decision in an election period because the normal schedule of meetings has been suspended. Senior officers have been in contact with the Trust about the site.
“We are deeply sympathetic to the demand for childcare in the area.
“There is a chronic need for children’s facilities but we cannot make a decision now. We need to be presented with a proper study outlining the extent of the demand in areas of Camden.”
 
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