Marshal halting the traffic to escort Deliveroo riders across the A41

• CAMDEN officers have decided to recommend that Deliveroo be allowed to remain at Swiss Cottage.

Deliveroo have been here for four-and-a-half years without planning permission.

The only reason they’re still here is that since the initial planning decision, the council has allowed them 32 additional trial months in which to prove they could comply with conditions imposed to mitigate the harm they inflict on the local community.

The current planning application hinges entirely on that compliance.

In all these months Deliveroo ignored these conditions in full view of the community and council, while local residents amassed copious evidence backed up by photographs – of Deliveroo riders running red lights, cycling on pavements, commandeer­ing public spaces, cutting into oncoming traffic, scaring pedestrians, and cycling the wrong way on highways.

Deliveroo waived aside hundreds of frantic complaints from residents about the foul cooking smells coming from their nine industrial kitchens.

Not once in that time did council officers challenge the validity of the incidents residents reported.

In fact, they encouraged us to keep sending them in: “We strongly encourage residents … to report to Deliveroo and to planning enforcement any concerns/ complaints you have.”

In the face of so much evidence of overt non-compliance, I naively assumed there was no way on earth officers could justify a decision to recommend Deliveroo be allowed to remain. But they have!

“We do not agree that all the breaches reported by residents are in fact breaches . . . I accept that there are some riders who do not ride as safely or responsibly as others …, but beyond this there have not been significant issues with Deliveroo’s operation and we will be recommending approval.”

If only council officers went to such ludicrous lengths to protect our interests.

For the community’s revelations about these Kafkaesque 32 months and the list of 1,822 randomly recorded breaches of conditions see our objections at: planningrecords.camden.gov.uk Ref: Application number: 2021/4792/P; view related documents: 15/12/21.

EDIE RAFF
Chair Local Residents Group and Cresta House Residents Association