Impression of how the One Museum Street/Selkirk House development could look

• AT the November 16 planning committee meeting, Camden councillors Heather Johnson, Danny Beales, Edmund Frondigoun, Tommy Gale, Liam Martin-Lane, Lloyd Hatton and Sagal Abdi-Wali voted to approve the demolition of Selkirk House in Museum Street, Bloomsbury, and gave approval for a new massive tower block in this beautiful part of central London.

This decision is in direct contravention of Camden’s own Local Plan and, despite Camden having declared a climate and ecological emergency in 2019, the demolition of this building will create even more carbon emissions, adding to climate breakdown. Building new structures also creates a massive amount of greenhouse gases.

Even Camden’s own consultants state that “it’s difficult to argue that substantial demolition of existing buildings above ground is justified in terms of existing resources”. All of this is totally unnecessary. Selkirk House could remain and be retrofitted. The planners have acknowledged this.

Save Museum Street, a coalition of 18 local organisations, has produced an alternative scheme which would enhance the neighbourhood and sensitively respond to the Bloomsbury Conservation Area and the listed buildings nearby.

These councillors have treated the community and Save Museum Street with utter contempt. They have also ignored the expertise of Heritage England, the Georgian Society and the Victorian Society, all of which advised that the application should be refused because of the substantial harm it will inflict on the conservation area.

Camden residents deserve better. We need a sea change in local politics. We should be represented by councillors who are willing to take climate change seriously, support their own policies with action not words, and properly reflect the views of local people.

So when it comes to the local elections choose carefully, remember these councillors really don’t care.

SUE COLE
Great Russell Street, WC1