• MUCH as everyone sympathises with Camden Council wanting to celebrate Windrush 75 on June 25, they are going about it the wrong way in the opinion of the Talacre community.

Their ambitious project, as planned, would involve taking over the entire space at Talacre Town Green, bringing in vehicles, setting up many food and trader stalls, a music stage and backstage, sports and other activities, and granting an alcohol licence, to name a few.

It will cause damage to this fragile environment that will take months to recover, not to mention the money involved.

There is already a great deal of anti-social behaviour to cope with in and around Talacre, and this Windrush event, fuelled with alcohol, will likely escalate to an unpleasant situation.

So I would like to ask Camden not to issue permission to use alcohol on the June 25 or at any other time. Besides, the Camden Brewery is next to the park so anyone could visit their premises.

This kind of event would be best carried out on Hampstead Heath, which is already set up for that. We understand that this is an important celebration, and one would wish to assist Camden.

However, as planned, the event using Talacre Town Green as the main venue is far too ambitious for our small, vulnerable park, which is so crucial for the welfare of this community.

Our residents are primarily social housing tenants without private outdoor space, so their only escape is their local park. It has taken some time after Covid-19 to get the park to recover from neglect.

Many volunteers have generously given their time and contributed their talent in planting, watering trees, and carrying out other essential tasks. As a result of their efforts and the parks department’s, Talacre Town Green looks lovely.

So how can we help Camden while not harming our precious amenity? Having consulted some of our residents, using Talacre Road, a wide road adjacent to the park, would be a way to minimise the impact of such a significant event.

Cancelling parking at Talacre Road and Rhyl Street for a short period would provide all the space needed for their ambitious project.

At the same time Talacre Town Green would offer a place for visitors to retreat, enjoy their food, meet their friends and neighbours, and cause minimal damage. Clearing up the mess at Talacre Road (and Rhyl Street) afterwards would be easy, fast, and cheap.

If Camden insists on using Talacre Town Green, the event would need to be reduced considerably to overcome objections and alleviate concerns about the damage it would cause.

We urge Camden to reconsider the impact of such an event on our park and devise an alternative to please everyone.

CÉLINE LA FRENIÈRE
Co-ordinator, Talacre Gardens Neighbourhood Watch
Officer of the Friends of Talacre Town Green