Consultation
The consultation on Camden Together took place between September and November 2006. Over 1200 people were actively involved in the consultation and we received 263 written and emailed responses from individuals, including 91 from children and young people.
There were 51 responses from organisations and 374 people attended meetings led by councillors in wards.
We held range of consultation events in addition to the ward meetings, including meetings with specific groups of residents, consultation on sustainability and business issues, work with schools and a civic forum held at Haverstock School.
This site will be an on-going source of information about Camden’s new sustainable community strategy. Some messages that came through particularly strongly from the consultation included the following:
Housing
Many people thought that housing in the borough was an important issue. In particular, people felt there was a lack of housing that was affordable or which was appropriate for their needs.
Drugs and other crime
People felt that the use and visible selling of drugs in the borough seriously undermined quality of life. Overall, tackling safety and crime issues were a priority for residents to improve Camden in the future.
Local, independent shops and businesses
People valued the range of local business - particularly local, independent shops - and wanted this diversity to be preserved.
Green issues
There was strong support for an active approach to protecting the environment and tackling climate change. People wanted it to be easier for them to make their contribution.
Managing growth
A large number of respondents felt that Camden will have difficulty dealing with an increasing population and some argued that existing residents should take priority.
Diversity
There was a great deal of support for Camden’s diversity and, in particular, many people liked living alongside people from different backgrounds. Many people also argued that the English language was important to hold our diverse community together.
Encouraging personal responsibility
People supported the idea that everyone had a role to play in making Camden a better place to live. Many said that they looked to the Council for leadership but also recognised that there is only so much the Council can do.It was also argued that people needed support and encouragement to be able to take responsibility themselves.
There were also clear messages from, for example, children, young people and older people, which are reflected throughout the strategy.
The messages from the consultation have helped to shape the commitments set out in this strategy.
