|
|
 |
| |
South End Green debacle is responsibility
of the Town Hall
• I feel saddened by the lack of vision and support
expressed in some of the letters in last week’s CNJ regarding
the current works at South End Green.
The Steering Group that was set up in 2004 worked tirelessly
in an effort to get Camden to agree to allow works to the
Green to improve the area for the benefit of both the community
and visitors alike.
This was an area that had largely become a drop-in for street
drinkers and as a result, was avoided by the wider community.
Having sought public opinion, Save Our Green (SOG), led by
Jeska Harrington, and the South End Green Steering Group,
received an overwhelming response that residents would welcome
improvements to the Green. It is true to say that these improvements
have not progressed without issue. However some of the concerns
raised in last week’s letters have been incorrectly attributed
to SOG whereas they are actually a direct result of the poor
management of the project by Camden Council’s environment
department – who it should be noted only agreed to the
works on the proviso that they maintained full control of
them.
The works were originally scheduled to commence in October
2005 with a date for completion given as six weeks from the
start date.
Requests made by members of SOG and the steering group, seeking
reasons for the ongoing delays and also the lack of care displayed
in carrying out the works, have either gone unanswered or
have been met with vague, uninformative responses.
In the midst of the chaos, Camden, having already agreed the
designs and budget, attempted to increase the project costs
(which are being met privately) and when this request was
turned down, they made their best endeavours to reduce the
specification – neither of which, due to the firm stance
taken by SOG, they have succeeded in doing.
I would also like to allay any fears that once the works have
finally been completed, the Green will be allowed to return
to its run-down state as provision has already been made for
maintenance to the area.
Once again the costs for this are being met by the community.
I shall be seeking answers to the issues raised and shall
be directing these to Camden’s environment department.
However, given that Camden’s view is that SEG “has
always been and always will be nothing more than a bus terminus”,
I remain realistic as to what their response might be.
Kirsty Roberts
South End Close representative on the South End Green Steering
Group
and Conservative Candidate for Hampstead Town Ward
• The new Marks and Spencer development in South End
Green is reaching its completion and I find myself thinking,
“My God what have they done?”
It truly is a design disaster and it is quite clear that the
idiots who are responsible for this mess have no concept of
style or community. I have very little knowledge of architecture
but even I can see that this white elephant sticks out like
a sore thumb.
The GHP group have built a monster, which looks like an extension
of the 1970s’-style hospital rather than the surrounding
Victorian buildings. Why? I thought we were living in 2006
not 1976.
Unlike the original architects of the area this band of crooks
and fat cats (who all live in Surrey) quite obviously couldn’t
care less about the people of South End Green. The developers
and Marks and Spencer have delivered something, which looks
like a cheep sterile, inhuman breezeblock nightmare, and is
completely out of place where it stands. As far as I’m
concerned they should knock the monster down.
J Charlton
Castlehaven road
NW1
|
|
|
|
