Summer fun and a very tall story!

JESTER FESTIVAL 2014

Of the many events this summer, the Jester is always one of our favourites. This year the weather looked unpromising but actually was kind to us. One comment was made as to why we didn't hold it in May because there was less competition then, and it's a simple answer - because the weather in May is even more unreliable than it is in July - even if we do compete with the final weekend of Wimbledon! Undaunted by the recent election results, the Lib Dems held their usual successful cake stall (thanks to all contributors)and managed to cope somewhat short-handed as many of us were participating on the Saturday with the wedding celebrations of Russell Eagling and Ed Fordham who were both, for obvious reasons, missing from the line-up on the stall for the whole weekend!

A VERY TALL STORY?

The Council have now produced their plans for the new school and housing next to the railway lines on the industrial site on Liddell Road (off Maygrove Road)by the railway line. We always thought the scheme was flawed because it featured a split site expansion of Kingsgate school in Kilburn, and would throw off all the businesses currently on site in favour of housing. However, the latest version of the plans have surprised and horrified many local residents.

Because the Labour Council intends to make a huge profit on the site as well as paying for the school, it will sell most of the site on to a private developer. The scheme currently includes a planned 14 storey tower block of private housing, and, against Camden’s own policies, will provide no affordable housing whatsoever. Our new Labour councillors are facing their first big challenge of serious local opposition to this massive new scheme. So what will our new Labour councillors do? Will they simply toe the Labour Town Hall party line or will they join with local people in opposing this new assault on the character of our area?



Looking west - Maygrove Road runs up the centre of the picture
and in the top right is the bottom of Sumatra Road



Camden are holding various drop in events on the plan:

Tuesday 19 July

9am-12pm at Sidings Community Centre

1pm-4pm in West Hampstead Community Centre,Dornfell St

6.30pm-8.30pm at Sidings Community Centre

Wednesday 16 July
5pm to 8pm at West Hampstead Library, Dennington Park Road.

Also there is a meeting on Tuesday 22nd July at 7pm at Sidings Community Centre, to discuss the planning application.

For more information you can contact us or go to Camden.gov.uk/LiddellRoad.