Tuesday 25 February 2014

Spring stirrings around Fortune Green



We may have had a dreadful wet and windy winter but at least the first daffodils are appearing on Fortune Green! The Green itself – already soaking wet and more like a swamp was not improved recently when Council workmen dug up great stretches of it to relay the electric cables. Feeling somewhat guilty now for reporting most of the lights were out and nagging the Council to do something about it! We’ve also taken up the issue of poor lighting generally around the Green which may have been a factor in a recent mugging in Ajax Road. Considering Fortune Green has one of the lowest crime rates in London, we are all hoping this was a one-off! Its certainly the first that most of us can remember for years!
There is news of a possible planning application for “Unit 5” in the Sager building on Fortune Green Road. Since the withdrawal of the horrendous planning application for the Abercorn School in the Sager building, a new “school” application is likely to be made. However, this would only occupy one unit, and won’t have a couple of hundred schoolchildren! It is a psychotherapy school with a maximum of 40 adult students likely to be there at any one time - unlikely to generate the huge amounts of traffic and extra parking which were major flaws in the previous scheme.

It seems the report on our long awaited parking review will be published on Camden’s website this week and a decision on the results will be taken by Cabinet member Phil Jones on 18th March at 5.pm. We have requested this meeting to be in public so anyone wanting to comment can go along.

We are also still chasing up the problems caused by Capital City Motorbikes, but it’s a long business involving planning, traffic and other officers so don’t expect a quick result!

Some of you have contacted us about the new “shisha” cafĂ© at the corner of Burrard Road. This is currently operating without planning permission and we’ve asked Camden officers to investigate.


It’s being a busy February!
Best wishes,
Flick, Nick and Nancy

The local Lib Dem Spotlight team