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Local councillors Abdul Hai (left) and Jonathan Simpson with project manager Louise Gates |
Calthorpe Project is hit by sell-off plans
Community ‘oasis’ land could be sold to developer
IN the hustle and bustle of King’s Cross, the Calthorpe Project has long provided a haven of tranquillity for those living and working in the area.
But now some of the garden, play area, allotments and community centre could be sold off to a private property developer under a council scheme to maximise Town Hall assets.
With the land worth millions, a survey has been carried out and now the Gray’s Inn Road Project has been told it may have to sacrifice a slice of its garden to boost council coffers.
Staff at the centre were called to a meeting by council officers last week who revealed they were surveying the land to potentially offload a part of it.
King’s Cross Labour councillor Jonathan Simpson said: “This is Camden selling off yet more of the family silver. The Calthorpe is an oasis in a built-up area. It provides peace and quiet. It is right they look at the resources they have and work out how to make the most of them, but they seem to be willing to sell off absolutely anything. The impact of this must be carefully considered. Once it is sold, you cannot get it back.”
As well as providing a garden, vegetable patches and a football pitch, the project also runs numerous classes, including clothes-making, various dance sessions and gardening lessons for people with learning difficulties.
Manager Louise Gates, who has been at the Calthorpe for 20 years, said: “I thought they wanted to speak to me about something else entirely, and we were all quite taken aback. It is a small piece of the whole site, but it is the principle.
“This is for a property developer. It’s not for social housing, it is for the highest bidder. We just can’t see the point.”
A council statement said the survey was part of an ongoing review of what the Calthorpe Project does. It continued: “The Calthorpe Project contacted the council to discuss their lease and their vision for improvements to site facilities. The council’s role has been to respond to the project’s request for a lease review and to consider potential for enabling works. Various options have been considered but no proposal has been formulated to put to the council at this stage.”
The Calthorpe Project was told this week that it had won a Lottery grant of nearly £5,000 to help tutor young people in fashion design and making their own clothing. |
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