Camden Gardens

• WHILE I concur with all of the previously stated cases against the Camden Highline – illegal use of a conservation area (act of 1906), invasion of privacy of local inhabitants, noise pollution, redundant link between Camden Town and Kings Cross (extant canal towpath suffices), feeble practical and aesthetic plusses in comparison to the New York High Line, pillaging of funds needed for local transport, the vital third rail/freight issue, unanswered questions regarding costs, timeline and dismantling – I would like to make a case for Camden Gardens remaining as it is, albeit with the removal of the unfortunate toytown metal planters and East/North/ South entry frames installed in 2020.

An all-black repainting of the peripheral railings and a few tweakings here and there also would not go amiss. As a current stroll would reveal, the gardens (something of a best-kept non-secret) are genuinely beautiful, marked by lovely trees and myriad and well-maintained plantings, with three handsome railway arches serving as a kind of folly.

This lush jewel of Camden Town – neither a haven for undesirables nor a public toilet, contrary to hearsay – should not be subjected to the same commercialisation and or “entertainment” ethos that has informed not only the worst Disney-style aspects of Camden Market (including the proposed 40-metre Ferris wheel) but also the aforementioned metallic desecration of the gardens.

Not everything needs to be switched on. There’s already more than enough in Camden Gardens that nourishes and nurtures. Staircases and kiosks would simply add clutter, and at such a cost.

DAVID OPPEDISANO, NW1