Labour councillors in Holborn & Covent Garden oppose the proposed closure of Clerkenwell fire station.

Councillors Awale Olad, Sue Vincent and Julian Fulbrook are standing up for Holborn & Covent Garden against Tory fire station closure plans

Boris Johnson and the Conservatives want to close Clerkenwell fire station and hammer a ‘for sale’ sign on its door even though the station last year responded to 546 emergency calls in Camden alone.

Closing Clerkenwell fire station will have a devastating effect in Holborn and Covent Garden. The Tory proposal also includes closing fire stations in Belsize Park, Islington, Southwark and Westminster.

In a joint statement, Cllr Julian Fulbrook, Cllr Sue Vincent, and Cllr Awale Olad said:

“Clerkenwell fire station is very important to our local community and closing it will leave us in grave danger especially if the alternative is to wait for a fire engine to come a long way.

“Our fire fighters carry out various checks on our homes and give advice to our locals almost on a daily basis. Closing Clerkenwell fire station is detrimental to our safety and will leave us completely exposed.

“We strongly oppose Boris Johnson’s proposed closure of Clerkenwell fire station.”

You can contact the councillors about the proposed closure at julian.fulbrook@camden.gov.uk, sue.vincent@camden.gov.uk, awale.olad@camden.gov.uk.

Tybald's Estate, Holborn

With 22,000 households on the Camden Waiting List there is hardly anyone who does not know of a family in desperate overcrowding or the need for a new home for sons and daughters living with their in-laws.

And although the Con-Dem Government financial blizzard provides a very serious challenge for Camden, sometimes a piece of lateral thinking can produce some local schemes for housing. A classic example was in Central St Giles where a partnership with a housing association produced 63 new homes recently opened by local Labour councillors, and now available to local families.

The focus has now shifted to Tybald’s Close estate where 64 per cent of the available space consists of tarmac and concrete standing, and where only 13 per cent of the land is actually built on. An initial design suggests that well over 50 family homes could be built at Tybald’s Close, mainly along the Orde Hall Street frontage where there used to be homes.

Another key feature of the proposals is to have a Sports Hall for gymnastics, football, basketball, and other indoor activities, with a Community multi-purpose Hall above it to replace the two small Tenants’ Halls at Blemundsbury and Falcon.

No decisions will be taken without full consultation with local residents.