Since 2010 and the Tory lead coalition government, so much power has been devolved to the councils in terms of planning and listed building works.
Most councils and especially Labour lead councils have gone into apathy and agree more readily to plans that in the past would have been thrown out!
I talk to more and more to local hard working families every day and hear heartfelt stories of how the situation was made worse by the intervention by Eric Pickles MP with his so-called Localism Bill. Perhaps his vision had been well intended but the end product is a shambles at the local grass roots level.
Any group it seems can create a local franchise and make a request to Camden that years ago would have been unthinkable.
I have heard many examples of very deep excavations going down 2 or 3 storeys down very close to water level.
The use of reinforced concrete means that water ingress is NOT a problem for the property developer as they protect against ingress BUT can be for adjoining properties not water protected, I have also heard of peoples homes actually leaning to one side slightly as a by-product of such works.
That is nothing compared to the noise and disruption that can last years in these complex engineering projects costing millions.
We need action now to curb what is a direct exploitation of a Tory born Localism Bill, clearly Tory councillors are unable to fight own party policies.
But I as your prospective Independent councillor can and will have the determination to fight to readdress this madness plaguing Hampstead.
Note: The photo was taken 2 days ago in Downshire Hill and is used to illustrate the type of deep excavation works going on in Hampstead. It does not imply that other residents in different parts of Hampstead recalling there experiences are the same in Downshire Hill.
