No sense to annexe plan

Published: 20 January, 2011

• I SUSPECT that it’s not often that I would find myself in wholehearted agreement with Lord Fink, co-treasurer to the Conservative Party, but I do on the subject of the Town Hall annexe (Don’t demolish the Town Hall – just fix the lifts, January 13), following Camden Labour council’s astonishing acceptance of what was originally a Lib Dem/ Tory plan to sell it off and construct a new building.

As Stanley Fink says, at this time of massive cutbacks, exposing the council to massive risk, and ignoring the significant carbon costs of demolishing a significant building just three decades old, makes no conceivable sense.

And I’d add to his concerns the impact on residents and workers. There’ll be a significant number who experienced the building of the annexe, suffered from the noise, the dust, the disruption, the resultant ill-health. 

And now all residents and workers – new and old – face going through the same trauma again if the cabinet supports the plan.

It may be that the King’s Cross lands are not going to fill with developments as fast as expected. 

But it isn’t up to Camden Council to fill in the gaps.

NATALIE BENNETT
Camden Green Party