‘Not only had the pots and plants been removed but the council had left the block in complete disarray’ 

• AS a Camden resident for more than 10 years, what I returned home to last Thursday was disappointing and greatly upsetting.

At the beginning of December stickers put on some of our plant pots stated the reason for removal and the date when they would be removed.

The plants have been here for more than 11 years, the resident before us left the majority there for us to look after.

In that time Camden Council has not once mentioned a fire hazard or obstructing exits. The fire brigade have visited the property on numerous occasions without expressing any concern about the plant pots.

‘The plants have been here for more than 11 years, the resident before us left the majority there for us to look after’

Our Ashington block on the West Kentish Town estate is due to be demolished in 2026 as part of its redevelopment.

This information I feel is very relevant regarding the behaviour of the council. We understand they need the blocks empty as the demolition date approaches, but that is two years away and most flats are still occupied with families living in them.

On December 7 we waited for the council to come and remove the pots, as we were going to remove them ourselves.

We waited because in the past the council had stuck notices on bikes and other objects (never plant pots) saying they would be removed by a certain date, but they never were and the bikes / objects had always stayed locked up on the railings or wherever they were. Again, that day the pots were not removed.

‘The purpose of this letter is to highlight the council’s actions and the lack of respect and consideration they show towards their residents’

There were no updates, no new stickers, no letters saying the removal date had changed.
No communication from Camden at all.

On Thursday I returned home and not only had the pots and plants been removed but the council had left the block in complete disarray.

We are not asking for anything and understand the reasons they have been removed.

The purpose of this letter is to highlight the council’s actions and the lack of respect and consideration they show towards their residents.

It was a very distressing scene to come home to.

Please picture returning to your home, your garden (if you have one) has been dug up, your flowers and bulbs thrown away, all the soil, mess etc has been thrown over the path to your front door.

‘It was a very distressing scene to come home to’

When our daughter returned from school she was upset, visibly distressed, and confused as to why anyone would have removed plants which she had planted and not cleaned up the mess this had caused.

She asked us why someone had thrown rubbish on the stairs to our home and not picked it up, she asked if we had to leave our home. We want to protect our children, but there was no hiding the mess and destruction that had been left behind.

These actions need to be addressed. Camden are constantly telling us they have the best interests of their residents at the heart of all they do. With this in mind it doesn’t feel Camden have thought about the impact this has had on people’s lives and the community.

With leaving the block in disarray and failing to communicate with residents regarding changes, Camden need to have a long, hard, think about what “having their residents’ best interests” actually means.

ZARA LEE, NW5