No lab here, thank you

Published: 8 July, 2010

• THE proposed research centre behind the British Library will complete the destruction of Somers Town as a small local community.

It will increase the process of gentrification which is at any rate in full swing around here, and which began with the sale of council housing.

The number of young, professional families has grown rapidly as has the changing nature of our amenities from pubs to restaurants the locals are unable to afford.

What this centre will not bring, in all likelihood, is long term jobs or prosperity.

It will increase the competition for housing and turn over more local amenities to niche, expensive shops for the well-off.

This research centre is entirely unsuited to its proposed location and will destroy the last chance of building desperately needed social housing.

This in turn will rapidly destroy what’s left of a vibrant local community and Somers Town will disappear.

KEN JONES
Polygon Road, Somers Town