Are you 'for' or 'against' Camp Royale?

By aloquifique | Friday, March 18, 2011, 10:49

The Balham Ward LibDems are lobbying on Twitter for views on the proposed 3 day transformation of Clapham Common into 'Camp Royale' for the duration of the Royal Wedding season. It's been reported that up to 10,000 people will opt to camp.

Camp Royal publicity website

Of course, jurisdiction for Clapham Common sits with Lambeth Council whose motivation for using the Common could be to replenish the coffers after a series of stringent cuts. The Licences are to cover food, alcohol and entertainment on the event site. Friends of Clapham Common are petitioning the Council and will attend a consultation meeting with all interested parties on Monday 21 March.

But what's the view of local residents who may be impacted by an influx of Royal Wedding tourists? Clapham Common, whilst in Lambeth, boarders on Wandsworth and indeed Balham North.

Here's a smattering of twitter opinions.

@trevosesurf sites the pro's as: "community spirit, boost for local business" and the con's as "possible noise, litter, strain on transport". More telling he signs off by tweeting "either way residents not consulted".

@BalhamWard respond "Wonder if people interested in royal wedding are same people interested in camping"?

@janeywoo tweets to @balhampeople "I live nearby and I don't have objections to the site but will local residents b allowed in 2 watch screens or 2 use the buses? However I would be worried about the clear up afterwards".

@travelmattersuk - who run the Balham based Travel Agent round the corner from The Nightingale Pub comments "I live and work nearby. I heard it is like a practise run for Olympics too. Should be interesting!"

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Comments

I think this is absolutely a question of Lambeth being enticed by the possibility of quick financial awards without considering fully the impact to local residents. If an event was going to be sited on the Common it should have been for the community. Not to attract 10,000 , (or whoops do I mean 4,000) campers from out of town. I wonder of the event organisers have actually visited the site to fully appreciate the impact this would have on, parking, noise, public transport, and crime. I think those that wish to celebrate the royal wedding will do so. The notion that there are thousands of young people anxious to come to London for the event but are blighted by expensive hotel rooms seems to me ludicrous. One questions their market research. What happens if it rains? Are the organisers going to replace the turf so the locals can play football again after the weekend?
A Hope
Clapham

By MrsNimby at 09:05 on 19/03/11
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Balham MP Jane Ellison is against it too - http://tinyurl.com/45fxh4v

I don't understand why it's necessary. Do they really think that many people will want to be in London for the wedding? Do people really care that much about the royal family these days?

And if there really is a need for it, then why not use one of the royal parks?

(Oh look, I've tried to use paragraphs again - watch this comment come out on a single line)

By davorgdavorg at 12:19 on 18/03/11
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