• WE write further to letters published in the August 15 New Journal concerning Bassett Street.

First, thanks to the Fitzroy Park Allotments Association for their support, (We were horrified to hear of the destruction of this allotment site). We agree that it is vitally important that people are enabled to grow their own food.

We hope soon to see many more allotments being set up on council land following the citizens’ assembly on the climate crisis, as this is a key proposal coming out of the process.

Regarding Cllr Meric Apak’s letter (I asked for an independent survey to be carried out concerning Bassett Street), we are mystified by the way in which he describes the current situation regarding Bassett Street Community Garden.

Camden Council has twice tried to sell the plot of land now occupied by the garden, so it is surprising that he now says that this land is needed by the residents of the neighbouring flats.

The reality is that a small number of people seem not to like the fact that there is a successful gardening project involving a diverse mix of people near to where they live.

This is not because of any disturbance caused; to most people overlooking this space it a source of joy to see this previously unused space being shared by the community.

Cllr Apak states that: “No one is planning the ‘destruction’ of a thriving inner-city allotment site.” Although the raised beds are not strictly speaking “allotments”, in essence, this is exactly what Camden is proposing to do.

By closing the garden to 100 or so people who come to grow food, gardening club members and their families, the nearby primary school and nursery, and handing it over to a small number people who have little interest in food growing, it is pretty clear what the result will be. Very few plots will be retained.

We are hopeful that a solution can be found. For example, there would be plenty of space for other uses apart from food growing if the temporary boiler were not taking up the central area of the garden.

For over the past year the boiler has made it difficult to maintain the space and blights the garden. We request that it is removed as soon as possible.

The gardening club has over the past few years been developing proposals for improving the central space for more general use, and we hope to have the opportunity of discussing this with the residents of 6-60 Bassett Street, the majority of whom wish the gardening club to remain.

As the Fitzroy Park Allotments Association says, the garden is a “multi-racial pocket of greenery”, and it is important to the borough that projects like this should succeed.

BASSETT STREET GARDENING CLUB COMMITTEE