Sent to Camden Council

• I WANT to know about plans for the little ancient park between Hampstead Road and Euston station, following the demolition of the Royal Northern Hospital.

I had heard the actual hospital building was to be refurbished but not what it was to be used for. I now realise that yet another flat-looking block of flats is to be built there and over the small, ancient park behind it.

Surely Camden’s planning department cannot have agreed to this? The park and its ancient trees should be kept for people to sit and walk about in as part of the Euston Development Plan.

This little park has been a welcome green space at least since the hospital was built. Like St Pancras, which I hear is also to be sold off, it used to offer a space for patients to go into and for years has been open to us all. It has some lovely ancient trees.

It appears that whoever bought the hospital and its grounds has no interest in outside space. I am told this is a problem of architects who sit indoors with their computers to plan lots of inside spaces and light – and forget the importance of air, water and plants and trees. In this case. It seems the HS2 planners are the vandals along with the planned extension of Euston.

UCLH is a good example of this kind of urban problem. The hospital condemns recovering patients who need a smoke to stand around outside in their dressing-gowns breathing the fumes of Euston Road.

Victorian St Pancras, on the other hand, has gardens and trees. But I hear the NHS is not thinking of how useful it is as an annexe, for many purposes, including rehabilitation, at a time when UCLH never has enough beds and Camden has nowhere to put ex-patients who can’t be at home.

JEAN THOMSON
Beatty Street, NW1