Covent Garden London
The heart of London's West End
Covent Garden Housing Co-Operative
Perhaps the greatest challenge for our residents during the past year has been from the increased presence of drug use and trafficking as a result of the well-intentioned Project Lilac.
The artificial boundaries meant that our residents on Stukeley Street and Drury Lane were almost under siege.
Further evidence of mindless crime, quite new to our properties, was the kicking in of four front doors in one week in November. Nothing was gained by the perpetrator but there was a great deal of inconvenience for our residents and profit for locksmiths.
We continue to work closely with our landlords, St Pancras and Humanist Housing Association but still have no allocation rights. Two adult children of long-term tenants have been rehoused in Neal Street by SP+H but Camden still appear deaf to pleas to rehouse local tenants in Covent Garden. Their nominees often ask for directions to get to Covent Garden. So much for having connections to the area! Our other on-going drama has been the installation of double-glazing in two our of units facing the soon-to-open 'Hospital' on Endell Street.
After incredible delay from Camden Planning, the project was finally sorted and responsibility agreed.
Then Camden decided the double-glazing needs planning permission, "so that it can have control of minor details, such as the types of screws used and the colour of the windows".
This for a building across the street from red windows! Oh well, on to next year.
Jessica Skippon, Chair
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