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Kentish Town Road is only half finished
• Camden Council has reneged on its promise to fund
the completion of the new paving scheme in Kentish Town Road
in the next financial year 2006-2007.
Kentish Town Road Action has been in dialogue with the council
about this paving project for a year and a half. Until a few
weeks ago there was never any doubt that the funds would be
available. Last week we were shocked to be told that only one-third
of the money needed would be available in 2006-7 and that our
pavements may not be finished in 2007-8.
Camden’s excuse is that fewer parking fines have been extracted
from errant drivers. We are amazed that the council’s budget
for this important work is run in the expectation of such a
fluctuating income.
The Boulevard Project was a splendid idea – one that would
have made such a difference to people’s lives. Kentish
Town Road has benefited from the start of the project. We have
beautiful new lampposts and there is new paving at the southern
and northern end.
But the most important section – the high street, has not
been started and that’s the part of the road which needs
regenerating the most. Our high street has suffered for nine
years from the hideous mistake Camden Council made when it covered
our pavements in horrible black tarmac, made worse and dangerously
uneven through the years by constant patching up after holes
have been dug. We need proper paving stones to encourage new
shops to make it what it was.
We have been told that, with the small amount of money available,
some areas of the high street will be paved in 2006-7. This
is some consolation but we are asking Camden Council and our
councillors to stick to their promise and to fund the paving
of the whole of Kentish Town Road in this coming financial year.
The election news-sheet Labour Rose was posted through our doors
recently. It stated: “Your councillors have brought new
lighting and the boulevard improvement scheme to Kentish Town
Road.” The first half is true. Let’s hope they can
do the second half as well.
Caroline Hill and Adam Leys
Kentish Town
Road Action Group
13 Leverton St, NW5
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