The 100 Avenue Road planning committee meeting will be at 7pm on July 19

• DESPITE the proposals of 100 Avenue Road developers to ride roughshod through our valued Open Space in the heart of Swiss Cottage, Essential Living’s Construction Management Plan (CMP) has now been recommended for approval by Camden officers and is set to go to the planning committee on July​ 19 for a full public hearing and vote from our elected councillors to either approve or refuse it.

The Swiss Cottage Open Space is the only available public space with a fountain for children to play in for the many local families in the area without gardens, yet Transport for London (TfL) have designated the Open Space, the busy pedestrian market area and Winchester Road, with its vulnerable residents, as a contingency route for the developers’ heavy 34ft construction vehicles – at the rate of one every 20 minutes for up to three years, in order to avoid any build up along the Finchley Road.

They also propose an as yet unspecified secondary route which is most likely to be the rest of Eton Avenue. Camden should not allow TfL to force developers to take a route because it is convenient to TfL and without regard to its impact. The development could just as well take place entirely from the 100 Avenue Road frontage.

This would not only minimise the harm and disruption to the Swiss Cottage community and amenity it would also remove the inevitable danger to cyclists from lorries turning out of the park directly on to the south-bound CS11 cycle lane, and prioritise the health and safety works of the Chalcots estate to go ahead unimpeded.

A good turn-out will show our elected councillors how strongly we oppose these plans and help inform their vote. The 100 Avenue Road planning committee meeting will be at 7pm, July 19, in The Council Chamber, Town Hall, Judd Street, London WC1H 9JE.

JANINE SACHS
Swiss Cottage, NW3