• COUNCILLOR Meric Apak’s letter about Bassett Street garden illustrates how the Camden Council works and is unable to meet the needs of the whole community, (I asked for an independent survey to be carried out concerning Bassett Street, August 15).

His insistence that a piece of previously unused council land that happens to be part of the “housing portfolio” should only benefit council tenants is extremely narrow-minded; the council should be thinking of all residents in the borough.

Camden’s citizens’ assembly on the climate crisis has just decided that one of the 19 actions that the council should take to address the emergency is to provide allotments for people to grow their own food.

Here we have a ready-made example of this activity, that could be rolled out across the borough with imaginative leadership.

The obvious opportunities are on “housing” land that has lain unused and uncared for decades. It will require a much more positive approach by the council to make this work.

By championing the territorial rights of the few residents of 6-60 Bassett Street who want exclusive use of this space, Cllr Apak is reinforcing division that will do nothing to address the needs of this area.

As estate regeneration in this area gathers pace we hope for more than this from our politicians. We need a plan for West Kentish Town and Gospel Oak that addresses the social and physical needs of everyone.

MANDY WOMACK
Malden Road, NW5