12 H&H Series, Thursday February 20, 2014
Follow us online at NEWS www.hamhighbroadway.co.uk Campaigners given leader’s backing in bid to save house Petition gathers 5,000 signatures by Imogen Blake bedroom home, with a basement [email protected] swimming pool and ballroom. The campaign to save it is Campaigners fighting to save a backed by Monty Python legend historic mansion from demolition Terry Gilliam and more than 5,000 have marked a milestone in public people have joined him in sign- A group fighting against plans to demolish Athlone House hand their petition to council leader Sarah Hayward activism in presenting a petition ing a petition calling for Camden with more than 5,000 signatures to Council to refuse the application ising the petition.” there are loopholes that can see But the council has been unable the leader of Camden Council. to demolish the former hospital The 300-page document was a scheme approved by a planning to enforce the condition because Cllr Sarah Hayward, council and RAF intelligence base. handed to Cllr Hayward and inspector after being refused by the requirement is frozen while a leader, pledged her support to “This is clearly a really impor- cabinet members, councillors councils and opposed by residents. planning application is being con- the campaign to stop 19th cen- tant issue in preserving our herit- Phil Jones and Valerie Leach, by “Why don’t we just say, let’s go sidered. tury Athlone House, on the edge age,” Cllr Hayward said. members of the Highgate Society, out with the old and let’s have Cllr Jones said this loophole has of Hampstead Heath, being torn “I think we should have more including chairman Kirsten de something new we can actually allowed for “game playing”. down after meeting protesters in local powers over planning ap- Keyser. work with,” she added. The petition’s organiser Jack the town hall foyer on Tuesday plications and developments. We “We’ve had many people like The protesters are calling on the Boswell, 23, of Whitehall Park in night. should be able to preserve this English Heritage and Civic Voice developers to stick to a 2004 agree- Highgate, said: “The [councillors] Athlone House Limited, which historic building. saying that this is a milestone in ment that required the owners seemed to be involved and inter- owns the property, wants to re- “This meeting has demonstrat- public activism to preserve our to restore the house to its former ested in what we had to say. place the Victorian mansion, ed the strength of feeling around heritage,” she said. glory within 42 months of build- “It was very satisfying to have a off Hampstead Lane in High- Athlone House and I am grateful As she gave the petition to coun- ing works on multi-million pound print-out of the petition to give to gate, with an extravagant eight- to the Highgate Society for organ- cillors, Ms de Keyser admitted flats in the grounds. them,” he added.