There is no plan to demolish anybody’s home

• FEELINGS were running high last Wednesday with regards to the Maiden Lane estate.
This is not surprising, it is only natural for people to worry when they think they are going to lose their home.
But I promise you there is nothing to worry about. What we were discussing on Wednesday was a plan to build housing on the industrial site next to Maiden Lane to raise money for improvement works on Maiden Lane, a local lettings policy to ease overcrowding on Maiden Lane and a plan to continue talking to residents to find out what sort of estate they want.
There is no plan to demolish anybody’s home, and there will not be unless residents demand it. I and my colleagues have been fighting hard, from the moment we started in Camden politics, to get the residents of Maiden Lane the estate they want, not the estate we want and not the estate council officers want.
CLLR FRED CARVER
Lib Dem, Cantelowes ward

Good news

• AT Camden Council’s executive meeting on December 8 the report which was adopted was straightforward good news for residents and it contained four simple recommendations:
It noted the excellent progress made by five design workshops conducted by architects Levitt Bernstein.
It recognised that redeveloping the next-door industrial estate with new homes will benefit regeneration of Maiden Lane estate. 
It voted £500,000 more to continue to progress, with the community, a regeneration strategy over the coming months and it recognised the need for a clear local letting policy that will ensure that “every resident can stay in Maiden Lane, either in a newly-built property or a refurbished one.”
Win, win.
I spoke up in the debate for the report and ended by saying of Maiden Lane: “It’s one of the only bits of land where we actually do have the potential of increasing our housing stock for social rented properties.
“I’ve got an open mind. This is for the community to decide but I praise the officers for the sure-footed way we’re moving this forward.”
CLLR PAUL BRAITHWAITE
Lib Dem, Cantelowes ward