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UPDATED EVERY FRIDAY
Last Update:
Friday 28th January, 2005
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All content ©
New Journal Enterprises, 2004.
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Museum in fight to keep marquees out of square
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TV traveller’s son leads opposition to
return of corporate parties
William Palin |
THE son of TV traveller Michael Palin has accused the Town Hall
of being “underhand and irresponsible” over plans to site
money-making marquees in the oldest garden square in London.
William Palin, who is assistant curator at Sir John Soane’s
Museum in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, Holborn, is leading a campaign
to block changes in the law which would again allow tents for corporate
hire to be sited there.
Despite residents’ protests, Camden Council made money from
the Lincoln’s Inn Fields marquees for at least four years until
2003. The council was then forced to back down when eagle-eyed lawyer
Jill Gibson discovered that it was illegal to put up tents in the
Fields.
Mr Palin claims the marquees exclude residents from the square and
cause serious noise nuisance.
But the Town Hall has now applied to Parliament to change the law,
thus allowing the tents to return. The case is due to be heard next
month.
Mr Palin said: “Camden has hired parliamentary agents to help
its case at a cost of many tens of thousands of pounds. But in the
past the marquees excluded ordinary people from using the square
when open spaces here are few and far between.
“Lincoln’s Inn Fields is a public park and should not
be used to generate cash in this underhand way.”
Sir John Soane’s Museum children’s education officer Jane
Monahan added: “We organised activities for over 1,500 schoolchildren
last year. But, because of the space these temporary structures
take up and the extremely limited waiting space at the museum, they
will exclude all Camden schools from visiting the museum.”
Mr Palin compared the structures to “giant armadillos with
iron frames two or three storeys high”.
He added that they took several days of noisy disruption to put
up and take down and were used for corporate parties for hundreds
of people “with sound systems booming till 1am”.
Mr Palin said: “Five petitions of objections have gone in and
we hope Camden will drop this when they see the strength of the
opposition.”
A spokeswoman for the Royal College of Surgeons in Lincoln’s
Inn Fields said: “We have permanent residents who live on our
site, as well as a 43-bedroom hotel for doctors on courses and studying
for exams. Loud music throughout the night causes a significant
disruption to them.”
A Town Hall spokesmen said: “Camden Council is seeking to overturn
an old local government act to allow both public and private events
and exhibitions at Lincoln’s Inn Fields. This would limit events
to no more than a fifth of the area of the park and also the times
when events can be run.
“In the past, private events provided a substantial amount
of funds, which were ploughed back into the park for the benefit
of all people who use the Fields, including residents and workers.
All these events were subject to strict noise and time controls.
“Most events occurred outside times when the park would usually
be open and Camden Council has always consulted residents and business
representatives.”
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