Mischief on the Billiard Table

• YOUR correspondents’ aspersions in their two letters about my apparent concealment of a “plan” to demolish the so-called Billiard Table off Camden Road are wide of the mark (letters from Annie Mullins and Angela Mason, December 17).
I wasn’t privy to any part of the development, design or consultation proposals about the Billiard Table and to this day I haven’t ever seen them or talked to the consultants – so I’ve concealed nothing.
The cost of £8,871 was entirely funded by Transport for London for developing a through route for cyclists and it was not transferrable.
As Camden’s cycling champion councillor I do not apologise for floating the idea, among several other schemes, for improving cycling safety and permeability.
I and my fellow Cantelowes councillors accepted the feedback of the two workshops that the community wants the Billiard Table to remain. So be it.
On December 8, via the Camden Square Neighbourhood Association, I wrote to reassure residents that there was no “plan” to demolish and that the Lib Dem ward councillors would ensure that its retention would be safeguarded.
Nevertheless, alarmist posters proclaiming “SAVE the Billiard Table” were still fixed to half a dozen trees one week later and two weeks after the event the posters promoted. Stapling posters to trees is damaging and should certainly be taken down promptly after the event.
The letter writers recently planted eight trees on the Billiard Table. However, surprisingly, they did so without seeking permission. You can’t just go unilaterally planting trees on public land. Then, on December 14, said Ms Mullins wrote an unfounded, derogatory email to dozens of her neighbours which started with the words: “It is with great sadness and upset that I’m letting you all know that under instructions from our local Cllr Braithwaite, Camden Council removed this morning, the newly planted tree saplings on the Billiard Table…”
I did no such thing. And a thorough investigation by all potential Camden departments has confirmed in writing that Camden’s officers were not the ones to pull up the trees, so their removal is a mystery – but not one attributable to me.
I say again, this is just political mischief-making.
PAUL BRAITHWAITE
Lib Dem Councillor
Cantelowes ward