H&F Calls On Capco to Return West Ken Estates to Council
Saying that Earls Court developer's masterplan is 'undeliverable'
The full statement released by the council is as follows:
"The London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (LBHF) has given further consideration to Capital & Counties Properties PLC’s (Capco) request for a new masterplan.
"LBHF has taken into account the concerns raised in October last year by the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea and the recent position of the Greater London Authority on regeneration schemes. Therefore LBHF, as landowner, does not believe that the proposed level of density and affordable housing could be supported or delivered.
"LBHF views the current agreed scheme as undeliverable and have called on Capco to return the estates to LBHF as this is the only viable way forward."
The statement follows a letter sent to residents of the estates by H&F Council Leader Stephen Cowan in autumn saying that he and colleagues were 'negotiating hard' with Capco to return the estates to council control.
Residents celebrate good news from H&F Council
The estates, which were included in the giant 77 acre Earls Court development contain 760 homes and almost 2,000 residents.
Last year, Capco said it was drawing up a new masterplan which could increase the number of homes within the development from 7,500 to 10,000.
Now however, the plan has been rejected by the council.
In response, Capco said: "We note with disappointment the statements released by London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham regarding the viability of 'the proposed level of density and affordable housing'.
"However, as announced on 8 November 2017, we remain in discussions with LBHF in relation to future plans for the estates, as part of the wider masterplan."
You can read the response in full here.
Capco has been forced to changed its plans for the huge Earls Court development due to the slump at the top of the property market. As we reported in February of last year, the development lost a fifth of its value during 2016, with slow sales at the first phase, Lillie Square in Seagrave Road.
Work is progressing on the second phase, on the site of the now demolished Earls Court Exhibition Centre.
However, the redevelopment of an adjoining site on Lillie Road, surrounding Empress Place has been put on hold for at least two years.
Residents of the estates have been campaigning against demolition of their homes to make way for luxury flats since plans were revealed almost ten years ago.
Jonathan Rosenberg, community organiser for West Kensington and Gibbs Green estates, said: "Residents are fed up with being kicked around in this high-stakes game of property speculation.
"Capco wants to exit the scheme, but there’s no way anyone will buy it so long as our estates and campaign are part of the package.
"The best way for them to de-risk the redevelopment is to hand back the estates."
You can read more about the residents' campaign and their own alternative People's Plan at their website The People's Estates.
January 26, 2018
