Let’s deal with the fights, the vomit and the drugs

Published: 11 February 2010

• I CAN understand why residents of Primrose Hill are concerned about the prospects of thousands of revellers descending onto the high street because of the World Cup. 

Residents of Camden Town are sadly used to this experience having to put up with alcohol-related anti-social behaviour every Friday and Saturday night (and most other nights as well). 

As you reported (All-night booze complaints soar, January 28) Camden Town is the one area of the whole borough which has not seen an improvement in crime     figures in recent years. 

As well as responding to residents’ concerns over Regent’s Park, Camden Council should also be taking the lead in reducing the weekly sight of fights, vomit and drug-dealing which occur in Camden Town.
Thomas Neumark
Gloucester Crescent, NW1

Vibrant appeal

• IT is unfortunate your article  was somewhat selective in respect of the information and quotes it chose to use. 

I would like to clarify one particular point made in respect to statistics on Camden Town.  

While crime figures in Camden Town have remained static over the past three years, figures for alcohol-related anti-social behaviour actually show a substantial year-on-year reduction across the same period. 

The pro-active work we have done with our partners has produced positive results for the night-time economy of the area, while maintaining its unique and vibrant appeal.   

On the two nights I have spent out with the police and licensing enforcement officers, we closed down three premises in Camden Town and a fourth premises in Kentish Town has subsequently been voluntarily closed at the request of police who reported our findings to the brewery. 

The response to your article however clearly shows the strength of feeling towards the issue of licensing in and around Camden Town, and as chair of licensing I would like to reaffirm my commitment and that of the licensing committee to undertake a full assessment to determine whether the correct balance has been struck. 

A detailed consultation is already underway with local residents, businesses and special interest groups, and where there is evidence to suggest that our current policies have not worked firmly in the interests of the local area, my colleagues and I will listen and work to address this.
Cllr Kirsty Roberts
Chair of Licensing

Park football

• AS a councillor for Camden Town and Primrose Hill I and my Liberal Democrat colleagues are very concerned indeed about these ill-thought through proposals for nearly a month of non-stop World Cup screenings in Regent’s Park.

I don’t want to be a spoilsport, but do we really need this? (‘We’ll pay a big penalty for fan zone’, 

February 4). 

Maybe a day or two for the finals and semi-finals, but a whole month? And why us? 

I had been told that we would be one of many London venues, but I now understand we would be by far the largest.

Has anyone thought about the intrusion on people’s lives locally from all the early morning sound tests and late night crowd dispersal that any event like this brings with it? If this goes ahead I think we must insist on no disruption overnight between 10pm and 10am.

Has anyone thought about the effects on other park users nearby, the zoo, where we know animals are distressed after only a day or two of events; the open-air theatre; everyone who goes there for a peaceful jog or stroll? 

And on streets used for extra parking – especially with the threatened Northern line closures – and on local pubs already busy with Camden residents but then inundated by the late-evening crowds after the screenings end?

Who is it who stands to gain from this, with bars set up to supply 20,000 people running all day? This is potentially a licence to print money. Where will this money go and how much of it will stay with us locally to pay for extra policing, local litter clearing and worse?

Where’s there’s a really good reason, when we host the Olympics for instance, we should make an exception and offer this kind of facility.

 But if we agree to this proposal will we soon have a month of football in our park every year or two ? 

Then why not rugby, tennis, Formula 1?

Its purpose is primarily to be a park, a place for peaceful exercise and relaxation and 20,000 football fans drinking all day is not compatible with this. 
Cllr Chris Naylor
Liberal Democrat, 
Camden Town and Primrose Hill ward