Cue for irritation over ‘Billiard Table’

• COUNCILLOR Paul Braithwaite is still in the frame over the area known locally as the “Billiard Table”.
He protests too much (There is no plan to level the ‘Billiard Table’, Letters December 10).
Far from causing local concern my comments on the Billiard Table (Letters, December 3) reflect the feelings of local residents who were irritated and dismayed that Camden Council seemed determined to press ahead with their scheme to flatten the area and turn it into a cycling route with direct access to Camden Road.
I would still like to know how much has been paid to private consultants and the costs of the public meetings for this abortive scheme.
Transport for London is funded by taxpayers’ money and there must have been better cycling schemes that it could have been spent on.
I made the Freedom of Information request because it was not clear where the support for these proposals came from.
Cllr Braithwaite certainly wasn’t very “out” about his role before I circulated the FOI.
Not being “out” is something I am not often accused of.
It is widely known that I am a local Labour candidate in Cantelowes ward and I have lived in Camden Square for 20 years.
I hope, if elected, I will be more sensitive to the wishes of local residents than Cllr Braithwaite has been on this occasion.
ANGELA MASON
Camden Square, NW1

Question of transparency

• THE letter from Councillor Paul Braithwaite (December 10) suggesting that concern about flattening the “Billiard Table” is political mischief- making, doesn’t reflect the views of the local residents.
What is disheartening is that Cllr Braithwaite has been involved with us, the local residents for the past two years to address the crime and youth disorder issues, and yet hadn’t shared publicly that as cycling champion he was actually behind the proposals until it was revealed by the Freedom of Information request made by Angela Mason in November. Presumably the plans were in development for several months.
Local democracy is about transparency and communication – what was disturbing and sets a tone of distrust about the process for plans relating to the “Billiard Table” was to find out about plans after they’d been developed.
It is confusing, on one hand you find out from a FOI that a councillor is behind the cycle plans and has known for some time they were in process, and yet didn’t share this information until forced to do so very recently.
On the other hand, following local upset about the plans at the first consultation meeting, we receive a letter from Councillor Ben Rawlings stating that they’ll support the residents’ views not to have a cycle path but will review them after 12 months, which is some time after the local elections in May.
Should we be blamed for “smelling a rat” and political mischief on their behalf?
The second consultation meeting had a turn-out of over 45 local people who voted 43 to two against a cycle path at the “Billiard Table”, not least because cyclists dashing out into Camden Road face a potential death trap.
On Saturday morning (December 12) a cyclist collided with a van outside the Tesco garage close to the “Billiard Table” on Camden Road and a stolen motorcycle was later driven through the “Billiard Table” and dumped on Camden Mews
Angela Mason, potential Labour candidate or otherwise, is a local resident and has a clear record of campaigning for the underdog and, like the rest of us, viewed the proposals as alarming and unnecessary.
ANNIE MULLINS
Address supplied