Peace Garden site will become uglier

Published: 13 May, 2010

• GEARALD MARS (Letters, May 6) referred to the proposed Camden Peace Garden in South Hill Park, on the railway embankment between the Magdala public house and Hampstead Heath station. 
The proposal is for a curved elevated walkway with a steel fence and a steel framework supporting three-metre high panels carrying individual ceramic tiles with inspirational messages, the hoarding being about 40 metres long and four4 metres or more high at the lower end of the walkway. 
This would introduce a piece of massive urbanisation into what is at present a small woodland site. Although planning permission has been given, I have found no one who read the notice of the proposed application, not even the proprietors of the Magdala, which overlooks the site.
There was no public consultation. 
I fear that the site will be ugly and more so as time passes. Although the idea is that the walkway be locked at night, the walkway would be a place for undesirables to hang out and disturb passers-by. 
I applaud the motives of those promoting the project, but would it not be better to finish cleaning up the site, allow ground cover to grow with planting of woodland flowers like bluebells and daffodils, and put up a discrete notice stating that it is a World Peace Garden and giving the names of the sponsors?
EDWARD STANFORD
Tanza Road, NW3