• THE most recent 100 Avenue Road CMP (construction management plan) allows for a huge increase in heavy traffic, a new construction route, and changes to lorry numbers and sizes entering the construction site using the Swiss Cottage Green Space.

Camden Council officers agree that this would be a material amendment to what is currently approved. As a result, this amended CMP has been submitted to the council for its consideration.

Following the well attended consultation meetings, the large number of objections to the this new plan and its novel nature, the members’ briefing panel recommended that the new proposal should be heard and decided by the planning committee, as was the case last time round.

Yet we understand this recommendation has just been overturned by David Joyce, Camden’s director of planning and regeneration who wishes the decision to be delegated to the officers.

We are astonished and disturbed that in such a high-profile matter a non-elected official can overturn the members’ decision and instead took the final decision himself which means that full public scrutiny is avoided.

This precedent would be extremely dangerous to the whole planning process. As the packed meetings on every occasion on the CMP demonstrate, there is a substantial level of public interest in this matter.

It is important that everyone has a chance to scrutinise any new information so this is not merely a rubber-stamping operation.

Whether or not public consultation is a legal requirement, if it is embarked upon there is legitimate expectation it be carried out properly.

In his reasoning, Camden’s Director of Planning and Regeneration appears to be sacrificing the democratic process in favour of the developers interests.

The director Mr Joyce’s argument that “the council does not monitor NOx through the CMP process” flies in the face of the dire health consequences of NO2 poisoning – with levels in the Swiss Cottage open space – our only green lung in the area, already being well over the European Union limit.

Yet planning guidance for development advises “NO2 will be determined on a case by case basis by the local planning authority”.

The perception that Camden Council is a place where unelected officials can overrule elected councillors is worrying and very harmful to public confidence in Camden’s decision-making.

We urge that democracy be upheld in Camden and the matter be reconsidered.

JANINE SACHS
Chair, Save Swiss Cottage