Stop them putting an office block on Camden Market
Steve Lucas | 13.08.2001 14:29
Camden Town could look like any other domestic shopping place if London Transport gets its way. They want to rebuild Camden Town underground station - and put up a shopping complex, office block and cinema on the site occupied by two of Camden's markets and the Electric Ballroom...
Camden Town could be turned into a bland, domestic looking high street if London Transport Property Ltd. get their way. It’s true Camden Town station needs sorting out, but they want to get compulsory purchase powers, knock down an entire block and put up something like the shopping center at Hammersmith station. This would mean loosing two of Camden’s six markets, the Electric Ballroom, a church and community center and numerous small businesses - along with Camden’s character and flavor.
Pretty soon, London is going to look the same all over. If we’re going to have a vibrant city with any character, then this plan should be opposed and stopped. This is a tiny enclave of high creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, where people have the opportunity to make and sell their own ideas because the rents are low and there is no bureaucracy. We should at least keep some of these areas.
There is a dedicated web site at www.camdenlock.co.uk and we have managed to hold our own. But we need as many people as possible to email those on our web site and give their views. Even better still, to put themselves on our email list, so we can mail them letters to send at the right time. Email
ctstation@camdenlock.co.uk
Camden Council has raised objections and The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone has told them to change the design, but LU are still going for compulsory purchase powers. By saying it is a transport issue, they may be able to get them under The Transport Act. But it is a commercial venture and they are not denying this. They just say they need the money. In our view, they’re being greedy. Camden is the opposite of Corporate and like others who are moving in, pushing the rents up and forcing out the small businesses that make Camden Town what it is, (Virgin Megastore please note,) anyone who wants to change it is just not welcome.
Please check out the web site at www.camdenlock.co.uk and lend us your support. You can email us to join the mailing list at
ctstation@camdenlock.co.uk Have fun and we’ll see you there some time.
Pretty soon, London is going to look the same all over. If we’re going to have a vibrant city with any character, then this plan should be opposed and stopped. This is a tiny enclave of high creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, where people have the opportunity to make and sell their own ideas because the rents are low and there is no bureaucracy. We should at least keep some of these areas.
There is a dedicated web site at www.camdenlock.co.uk and we have managed to hold our own. But we need as many people as possible to email those on our web site and give their views. Even better still, to put themselves on our email list, so we can mail them letters to send at the right time. Email
![](/img/maillink.gif)
Camden Council has raised objections and The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone has told them to change the design, but LU are still going for compulsory purchase powers. By saying it is a transport issue, they may be able to get them under The Transport Act. But it is a commercial venture and they are not denying this. They just say they need the money. In our view, they’re being greedy. Camden is the opposite of Corporate and like others who are moving in, pushing the rents up and forcing out the small businesses that make Camden Town what it is, (Virgin Megastore please note,) anyone who wants to change it is just not welcome.
Please check out the web site at www.camdenlock.co.uk and lend us your support. You can email us to join the mailing list at
![](/img/maillink.gif)
Steve Lucas
e-mail:
ctstation@camdenlock.co.uk
Homepage:
www.camdenlock.co.uk
Comments
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serious shit
13.08.2001 15:56
'they' have already shut down kensington market, are threatening spitalfields, I can't believe they want to shrink camden too!
it's already hopelessly over-visited, showing the enthusiasm of people for markets like this... what's next - portobello? where the hell will all the tourists go, at this rate? don't the stupid people who think that only shopping centres are of 'value' understand that it's markets like camden that keep london at all 'cool'?
if livingstone doesn't stand up for london AND WIN on this one - well I know he's already sold out on lots of stuff but this will make him a hell of a lot more enemies and help to undermine poor old london even more as a city worth visiting and living in by real people ..
(personally I rarely go to camden, mostly cos it's too crowded - which suggests it whould be made bigger not smaller..!)
zedhead