New town hall and private land won’t mix

Published: 29th July, 2010

• I NOTE with interest that “improved customer access” is a key measure of the council’s property strategy, as detailed in a report handled by Councillor Theo Blackwell last week.

I find this hard to reconcile with the decision to place the new town hall on private land.

The report states King’s Cross Central Ltd want to hold onto the freehold of the proposed building, so that they can “retain some level of control over the management of the wider estate”.

Cllr Blackwell needs to think through the consequences of an unelected third party having the power to control movement around, and access to, our council buildings.

One can quite easily imagine the messy business of leafleting, petitioning, or political demonstrations, outside the proposed town hall being prohibited by King’s Cross Central Ltd in pursuit of good order on their estate.

Surely anything that may curtail political expression in Camden, runs counter to the borough’s traditions?

Why seek to hand such power to an unaccountable, private, company with such indecent haste?

KEITH SEDGWICK
Gospel Oak