• BACK in 2015 Camden Council, at least in Gospel Oak, used its own staff to consult residents on their future vision of their area.

Then in 2016 officers did not, presumably, like the results and binned the report, especially that related to the priority identified by 1,000 people; the regeneration of Queen’s Crescent and also housing.

The thriving market collapsed and over two-thirds of the promised (in 2012) new housing has yet to be even started.

Councils are legally required to consult residents, so Camden had to devise a new strategy to ensure residents agreed with what officers wanted.

This in 2020 involved careful and secret selection of residents who would be paid for their “compliance”.

Another ruse, reported in the New Journal last week, is to have a group composed entirely of members who are officers and councillors; the Carlton Community Provision Working Group, and exclude community representatives who might have different ideas.

Hold meetings in secret and provide reports of the “findings” which are not in the public domain.

Employ legions of consultants, some 10 (?) in Gospel Oak now, who will be aware that if their “findings” are not what the officers want they might not get another lucrative contract.

Next employ a smattering of officers for long periods through agencies on what are, in effect, zero-hours contracts and thus have insecure tenure.

This new-look consultation is not confined to Gospel Oak. Camden Council refuses to meet the established Chalcots residents’ group.

Efforts by the newly radical Conservative opposition to get the council to have independent reviews of the Veolia waste contract, and the debacle on pupil places which has led to the closure of Carlton primary school, were voted down by Labour councillors.

Add to this fake news put about that only a small number of people object to what is going on.

Actually, not so fake, as if you keep things secret and exclude people from meetings, people cannot object.

Hopefully councillors are keeping an eye on the calendar. In some 350 days they will have to justify at election time why they have allowed all this secrecy. But perhaps not, if it persists.

MICK FARRANT, NW5