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Camden News - by DAN CARRIER
Published: 26 February 2009

Ros Bayley

Lottery urged to withhold cash for road over Heath

CAMPAIGNERS battling plans to build a new road on Hampstead Heath will hand over a dossier outlining their argument to the Heritage Lottery Fund tomorrow (Friday).
The No Road protest group, who say they have 8,000 supporters, will meet a representative of the Lottery committee, which doles out cash for public projects.
They hope to persuade the committee to block plans for an access route from Gordon House Road to the Parliament Hill staff yard. Campaigners claim the road will be a danger to walkers and that it goes against the ethos of the Heath being a haven from the car-choked city.
The Heritage Lottery Fund is considering an application from Heath managers the City of London for cash for a multi-million pound spruce-up plan for Parliament Hill Fields. The proposals are for new landscaping, a café, a new sports pavilion and changing rooms for the running track and further investment in the Grade II-listed Lido swimming pool.
Among the 8,000 supporters of the No Road group are naturalist Bill Oddie, comedian and TV presenter Michael Palin, singer Suggs, film director Ken Loach and royal biographer Andrew Morton.
Campaign organiser Ros Bayley said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the goodwill shown to the campaign. People know instinctively that converting a footpath to vehicle use is wrong and won’t sit by and let it happen.
“Our main objection to the road is the fundamental one that a vehicle-only access road should not be allowed to replace a footpath on open heathland.
“Although the main section of the road is already tarmacked, the section around the cricket pitch will be built on what is now grass and a new long pedestrian path will have to be built over what is now the football field.”
She added: “People care passionately about the Heath and laugh at the City’s claim that opposition to the road is based on a ‘misunderstanding’.”

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