1. Autumn 2006 – Conservative Council Leader Stephen Greenhalgh and Greg Hands MP go on 18 Doughty Street TV to be interviewed. During the interview they say that it is their policy to reduce the amount of social housing in Hammersmith and Fulham.
2. March 2008 - Two Hammersmith and Fulham Council officials and Cllr. Mark Loveday (a senior Conservative Councillor) fly to Cannes on the French Riviera (at tax payer expense) to go to the MIPIM property conference also attended by Mr Ira Rapp, the Chief Executive of Westcity Plc.
3. August 2008 – Property magazine the Estates Gazette reports that the Council approached the owners of the Earl’s Court exhibition centre and offered to demolish 800 homes in West Kensington. The Council and Conservative councillors initially deny this then admit it is true six months later.
4. November 2008 – Allegations emerge that the Council has offered Mr. Ira Rapp of Westcity Plc the opportunity to demolish the Queen Caroline Estate during negotiations to develop Queens Wharf, which is currently an empty office building situated next to the Queen Caroline Estate.
5. February 2009 – Conservative councillors say all allegations that they are in talks to knock down the Queen Caroline Estate are “scaremongering”.
6. February 2009 – While being questioned about plans to demolish the Queen Caroline Estate and Ashcroft Square at a council meeting on Wednesday 23rd Councillor Stephen Greenhalgh, the Conservative Leader of the Council loses his temper and goes on record to say if his administration wants to start “knocking houses down we will”.
7. February 2009 – The Hammersmith Gazette contacts Mr Ira Rapp and asks him if he is involved in talks about knocking down the Queen Caroline Estate. It reports Mr Rapp saying he “would be very interested in being part of developing such a “key site” after the economy has recovered from the global downturn”.
8. March 2009 - Hammersmith and Fulham Council hold a "drop in" meeting in the Queen Caroline Estate Residents' Hall. The Council now admits that they have been talking with property speculators about demolishing the Queen Caroline Estate but try to explain that this may not happen until 15 years time.
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this is just appalling - i have visited and stayed on the estate for a number of years now and love it; such a fantastic place, wonderful location and so friendly. I can't imagine how awful it must be for my friends there to have the prospect of them losing their homes hanging over them, and it seems there is lots of mis-information (surprise surprise) from the Tory council. It reminds me of Westminster council in the 80's under shirley porter who tried to get away with a simlar thing, basically gerrymandering. Due to persistence, astute campaigning but also sticking together people reversed this and the council were brought to account for their misdemeanours. So the good thing is people are getting together, and sticking and working together is so important. I can't remember the exact quote but this is true - we can get so disillusioned and feel so powerless BUT change can come about by many people doing small things - so petitioning, visting each other and talking together are the basic building blocks and can really make the difference needed. Good Luck! Stay strong!
ReplyDeletePaul
Regeneration can only be a good thing for the area, it will bring prosperity and more training opportunities for young people, the council are not going to demolish the estate, but to regenerate over a number of years. No one will be made homeless. It really is time to stop the scaremongering!
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