Friends of Talacre Gardens fear for pedestrians as public route is handed to flats developer Findon

Published: 14 April 2011
by DAN CARRIER

A NEW road leading to Camden’s most popular public sports centre will be so dangerous for pedestrians it will need two full-time road safety marshals, objectors have claimed. 

Campaigners who are opposing a new block of 36 flats at Talacre in Kentish Town say the scheme is unworkable and will jeopardise the safety of members of the public. 

The Town Hall this week handed control of Dalby Street to developers Findon who plan to create the seven-storey building on the short stretch of road. The previously public road leads to the Talacre Sports Centre in Kentish Town, and has recently been occupied by travellers.

Findon plan to replace Dalby Street with a narrow access road without a pavement alongside railway tracks – a plan waved through by Camden Council on the condition that the developers pay for permanent marshals to walk back and forth in front of vehicles. 

Haverstock ward Lib Dem councillor Matt Sanders said: “This ­hated building is going full steam ahead. It is outrageous. It towers over the park, and the legal agreement the developers had to sign to get permission is a nightmare – they need two marshals to manage traffic for the entire life of the building.”

Friends of Talacre Gardens chairman Peter Cuming has been an outspoken critic of the proposals He said: “We feel the plans are hugely detrimental to the sports centre, will create a road that is dangerous, will be far too big and cover our park in shade, and we just don’t see how the flats will be marketable unless Camden Council fails to enforce the legal obligations.”

Mr Cuming believes the cost of marshals will be absorbed by service charges for those wishing to move into the flats.

He and other members of the pressure group are now putting together a road safety survey, recording how many people use the centre to illustrate how the plans are flawed.

Mr Cuming added: “The replacement road will be just about wide enough for cars to pass each other, but will have no pavement and a tiny roundabout at one end.

“We fear that the 100,000 visitors the ­centre gets each year will be at risk. 

“And what if the sports centre needs deliveries, or building work? It won’t be able to happen.”

Findon, who are based just 200 yards from the site, declined to comment.