It s fantastic that Talacre Gardens will be registered as a Town Green. Residents are over the moon. Those with long memories will know that this is just the latest chapter in Talacre s messy history. The gardens were born with the clearance of slum housi

It's fantastic that Talacre Gardens will be registered as a Town Green. Residents are over the moon. Those with long memories will know that this is just the latest chapter in Talacre's messy history. The gardens were born with the clearance of slum housing in the 1970s, but residents had to fight the council every step of the way to create the precious park we see today.

More recently, the ugly shadow of the Dalby Street development forced residents to recognise that, with land in inner London growing ever more scarce, there will be real pressure to use every last scrap. Talacre Gardens, at least, is now safe.

It's been quite a journey for all those of us who have done battle for Talacre Gardens, and I would like to warmly thank all those people - both in Camden and further afield - who got involved, worked together and supported our campaign. Similarly, the Liberal Democrat councillors who took this decision showed that they trust the local community and are not afraid to be bold and radical when it comes to protecting what is special about our borough.

Whatever the future may bring, we have a guarentee that this green lung will remain. When people are enjoying the sunshine in Talacre this weekend, they will have good reason to smile.

Councillor Matthew Sanders

Haverstock Ward, London Borough of Camden

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