You ain’t heard the last of us news.fitzrovia.org.uk Fitzrovia News Fitzrovia News is produced by residents and volunteers and distributed free to business and residential addresses in Fitzrovia Issue 153 Summer 2019 The final days of Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Centre Housing and welfare advice service could relocate to more affordable premises in Kings Cross if funding is secured The Fitzrovia Neighbourhood licensing and other consultations, Centre will close its doors in June and the publication of Fitzrovia for the last time after five decades News will continue to be done by of delivering a housing and wel - trustees and volunteers from their WIN THIS fare advice service and numerous homes. community projects from the Tot - The Friends of Fitzrovia Parks tenham Street building. who work with Camden Council £30 BOOK Camden Council, which owns to improve Crabtree Fields and the site and needs to carry out re - Whitfield Gardens is also sup - page 15 pairs and plans to redevelop the ported by the FNA as is the work listed Georgian building, has of - of the Charlotte Street Association fered Fitzrovia Neighbourhood which has done the bulk of the Association alternative accommo - planning and licensing work since dation at Cromer Street in Kings 1970. These groups intend to con - Cross. tinue their work in tandem with Camden has also agreed to the FNA. allow the FNA to return to a The Fitzrovia Festival which smaller Neighbourhood Centre on was first held in 1973 and cele - the ground floor at 39 Tottenham brates the residential community, Street after its redevelopment sub - its struggles for affordable hous - After 44 years since it first opened on the corner of Tottenham Street and ject to the organisation being able ing and community facilities Goodge Place, the Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Centre along with its advice ser - to pay the rent, securing funding, under the banner “The People vice and community projects will close for last time. and if the reduced size of the Live Here!” is also supported by premises is viable to operate from. the FNA and there are plans to Road, painted in 1980, captured session workers. Under Camden’s redevelopment continue the event. the spirit and struggles of the The last drop-in housing and Ann Basu reads her new book plans, the basement will be con - The Neighbourhood Centre 1970s — a timeless art piece, de - welfare advice service will be on verted to a flat to be sold at a mar - was first opened in 1975 after vol - caying but still as relevant as ever. Tuesday 11 June and the final New history ket price and the upper floors will unteers got together to refurbish a The mural was designed and women’s advice service will be on be converted to self-contained former glass shop and raised painted by artists Simon Barber Wednesday 12 June. housing to be let at a social rent. money to employ staff to provide and Mick Jones at the Neighbour - The FNA will hold its annual of Fitzrovia Staff and trustees of the FNA professional housing and welfare hood Centre after interviewing general meeting on Monday 24 have agreed in principle to relo - advice and support campaigns to local people. June at the Neighbourhood Cen - page 15 cate the advice service to Kings improve housing and community As Fitzrovia News went to tre. Camden council will take pos - Cross because there is no other facilities for the district that was press the future of the advice ser - session of the building on 1 July suitable, affordable premises in very mixed both by social class vice at Kings Cross and many of and a half-century long chapter of Faith in Fitzrovia available. and ethnicity. It was one of sev - the community projects in continuous community action in The housing and welfare ad - eral community advice centres es - Fitzrovia is uncertain. Due to a the building will draw to a close. vice service has a wider catch - tablished in the 1970s across lack of funding being secured ment area than the boundaries of Camden and other inner London from the end of June the organisa - Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Assocation Fitzrovia Fitzrovia with people travelling boroughs. tion has had no choice but to issue AGM, 6.30pm Monday 24 June at from all over Camden and West - The Fitzrovia Mural at Whit - notices of redundancy to its staff the Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Centre, special feature minster (and often other bor - field Gardens on Tottenham Court and termination of contracts to its 39 Tottenham Street, London W1T. oughs) in search of help with living, such is the need for the ser - pages 7 - 10 vice. However, the FNA cannot carry out its community develop - ment projects that are specific to Fitzrovia because the premises are located in a different neighbour - hood. Instead the community de - est1958 velopment workers plan to use occasional accommodation at a Awarded variety of sites in Fitzrovia in The home of traditional tripadvisor order to continue its arts and certificate of fish and chips. crafts work and health projects. excellence five GIGS The FNA’s role as an amenity years running Fully licensed Greek restaurant society, responding to planning, 2014 - 2018 12 Tottenham Street 020 7636 1424 2 — Fitzrovia News issue 153 Summer 2019 Fitzrovia News Formerly The Tower Letters, email and comment established 1973 news.fitzrovia.org.uk Write to [email protected] twitter.com/fitzrovianews facebook.com/fitzrovianews What is the point of talk of greening The life and changing times of the instagram.com/fitzrovianews [email protected] if rubbish pollutes our streets? Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Centre Issue 153 Summer 2019 Every day I draw my curtains to see what the day has to offer, and The Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Centre was a product of its time and Published 4 June 2019 every day I see, between the newly planted trees at the junction of Gos - was one of several community advice centres being established across Editorial Team field Street and Langham Street, a pile of rubbish. Camden and other inner London boroughs in the 1970s. The opportu - Mike Pentelow: When I walk through Fitzrovia I see what all those walking to work nity arose as a result of funding provided by the Home Office to tackle editor and features editor have to walk past every day: little piles of rubbish everywhere. Even if inner city problems. This Urban Programme ran from 1968 to 75 and Linus Rees: people conform to the rules about leaving bags outside their residence Camden was one of 34 local authorities which were eligible for fund - website and assistant editor at the required time, rubbish is on the streets. And against the rules, it ing. Fortunately Judith Dainton, a leading light of the Tottenham Street Pete Whyatt: continues all day. When people see a bag, they add to it.What is the Tenants Association, came across the government circular inviting bids news and production editor point of talk of greening the area if rubbish pollutes our streets? while working for the National Council for Social Service then based in Clive Jennings: How is it that other boroughs and other parts of Westminster don't Bedford Square. She consulted other local people and, with the help of arts editor have this problem? Camden community workers made an application. Brian Jarman: Sorry, but we need *bins* - to contain the unsightly bags, and pre - The proposal involved establishing a centre in Fitzrovia which writer and sub-editor vent depradation by birds and rats. Leaving rubbish on the streets is would both provide expert advice on housing, welfare rights and im - Janet Gauld: unsightly and can be a health hazard. I refuse to put my refuse on the migration and bring together the twenty or so tenants’ associations and associate editor street. Since our bin was removed, I take my rubbish and recycling to community groups representing different parts of Fitzrovia on the Barb Jacobson: the bins at the back of John Lewis. Westminster and Camden sides of the borough boundary. associate editor Dare I suggest the old-fashioned solution of dustbins for each Early in 1975 this new collective was notified that its proposal was Jennifer Kavanagh: building? Money could be saved by less frequent collections. successful and that it was being awarded a grant of £54,000 per year associate editor over five years. A series of very talented and dedicated workers were Name and address supplied appointed to provide the support the area needed. Contributors: Goodge Place and number 39 Tottenham Street had been under Nick Bailey More bus stops are needed on threat of redevelopment by the Middlesex Hospital which in the early Sue Blundell 1970s was intent on expanding up to and including Charlotte Street. Fi - Jesse Brown Tottenham Court Road nancial circumstances changed and it soon withdrew redevelopment plans. The hospital was then asked if it would be willing to rent num - Jayne Davis Why has Camden Council cut the bus stops on Tottenham Court Road? ber 39 to provide a home for the newly formed Fitzrovia Neighbour - Terry Egan There used to be a stop at Percy Street but it has been closed. The near - hood Association. In April 1975 the Hospital agreed to let the former David Evans est stop to Warren Street is at Capper Street, a long way from Warren glass shop, long since boarded up, for a very reasonable £300 per year. Clifford Harper Street, especially if it is the first time you are looking for it and it is al - Two other houses in Goodge Place were included in the deal to provide Claire-Louise John most midnight and all the buses are passing you by.