No customers in Queen’s Crescent 

• CAMDEN Council devastation of Gospel Oak continues.

The road closure signs need a PhD to understand, with some notices being initially put up the wrong way round and vehicles having to make dangerous U-turns outside Carlton school.

The solution of council officers? To employ “QC champions” to help guide us through the maze. I came across four by accident on the crescent and was told they would not speak to me or a bewildered stall-holder.

In earlier encounters one told me that they were not required to wear council badges and two others were unable to show me any identity badge.

So how do we know who to ask questions of? Certainly not elected councillors or cabinet members, who are nowhere to be seen.

As the picture (above) of the crescent, taken about midday on Tuesday, shows there are no customers to ask questions anyway. The impact on takings of shops is obvious but they still have to pay rent and other bills.

Just over 120 local people living or working in the “designated area” supported this road closure consultation, held at the peak of lockdown.

Councillors do not respond to articles and letters in the press and ignore emails. At least the names of our councillors are in the public domain.

Should we be identifying officers and others who hold secret meetings where their decisions affect considerably not only local businesses but the food bank and other services for young, vulnerable, and elderly residents?

I suspect that frequently officers do not even tell councillors what they are doing or realise the impact of their actions.

MICK FARRANT, NW5