Street signage in Coram Street, Bloomsbury, is not being adhered to

• FOR five months I have been writing to my councillor, Adam Harrison, cabinet member for improving Camden’s environment, regarding noise and fume pollution from lorries making deliveries to the Brunswick Centre and to the Marquis Cornwallis pub in Coram Street.

Nothing has been done. Every day at around 5am, the noise and pollution start with lorries travelling down Coram Street and into the centre car park. Many, such as Brakes Food, are repeat culprits, arriving each morning and parking illegally.

There are three signs in Coram Street. One is for loading, the other is for taxis only and the third, further up the street (also occasionally used by HGVs), is for doctors. The loading bay outside the pub says that loading should take place from 8.30am while the taxi rank should be kept free for black cabs 24 hours a day.

These signs and the times and places that lorries can unload is disputed by Helen Masterson, head of Camden’s environmental health department. She says that lorries can park at any time and that environmental health issues which are caused by street pollution are not a concern for her department.

This is surprising as Gaville Charles, an ex-environmental officer from the council used to deal with this issue exclusively.

Unfortunately for residents now, however, neither the council nor Cllr Harrison who is supposed to be a local spokesperson on the environmental have any concern about environmental pollution caused by HGVs or in ensuring that street signage is adhered to.

This leaves residents at a loss, both a loss of representation and a loss of health. In the latter, this equates to continuous sleep deprivation and a risk of asthmatic attacks caused by the fumes.

DR ECCY DE JONGE
Coram Street, WC1