BORIS JOHNSON BLIGHTS UK AND LONDON ECONOMY
5th JULY 2013
Despite the recommendations made by the Green, Labour and Liberal Democrat Assembly Members, and the objections from residents in the Earl’s Court area to defer his decision on the flawed planning applications for the Earl’s Court Masterplan, pending further study into the overall impact of the Masterplan—Boris did not listen.
Instead, the Mayor has nodded through these controversial plans, which included the demolition of the iconic Earls Court Exhibition Centre and the West Kensington and Gibbs Green Estates—homes to over 2,000 residents.
Chief Executive of the Association of Event Organisers, Karim Halwagi said:
‘The Exhibitions industry generates billions of pounds per year to the national economy and the Earls Court Centre is a core part of that. We already lag behind our competitors with a lack of decent venues compared to the demand and now this important space, which also formed a key venue for the Olympics, is set to be demolished. It will be a major, major loss. It makes no sense.’
Local traders are already feeling the hit of an economic downturn, manufactured by the deliberate reduction in trade at the exhibition centre by the leaseholders CapCo whose plans the Mayor is choosing to support. Many local people are seeking real affordable housing and yet this plan offers no additional such units, but instead the majority of properties are designed for high-end purchasers—many of whom are likely to be ‘Buy to Leave’ overseas purchasers.
Paul Thomas, Retail Business Manager for the O’Neills pub chain and a local employer says:
“The impact to Earl’s Court events and functions that the Centres create on a regular basis will be extremely detrimental –both to local businesses and their employing power. We employ chefs and waiting staff to cater for Earl’s Court events and there will be a damaging economic knock-on effect to local employees and residents. The spending power within the Earl’s Court community will be reduced”.
At the centre of the site, the dedicated precision engineering team based at the Lillie Bridge Depot, keeps the London Underground in safe repair. This too is destined for destruction if the Masterplan goes ahead.
Boris Johnson has a serious conflict of interest—significantly he is Chair of TfL while he is also Chair of the City Hall Scrutiny Committee and the sole decision maker on planning applications of this type.
The decision to grant is premature and should be delayed until the outcome of the TfLfeasibility study due in December into the viability of relocation of this essential engineering works. Given that TfL is the major landowner with 55 of the 77-acres of the site, the full implementation of the Masterplan is dependent upon the Lillie Bridge Depot being dismantled.
On Monday, Assembly Members from the Greens, Labour and Lib Democrats had collectively signed a letter urging Boris to initiate a delay whilst further investigations as to the real impact of the Masterplan are undertaken – as well as the completion of theTfL Feasibility Study. Yet the Mayor paid no heed to this sound advice.
Darren Johnson, AM said:
‘The question is – why would Mayor Johnson behave in this way? Why is it only the Conservatives in City Hall as well as the controlling Tories in both London Boroughs affected are the only groups in favour of this plan, which is set to ravage a whole community and impact very badly on the economy of West London?’
CapCo lease Earl’s Court 1 and 2 from TfL furthermore the EC1 lease will revert to TfLin 28 years, with the remaining lease of 28 years for EC2. Why is TfL, as a public accountable body not exercising their own development rights — What a mess!
Campaigners will now join with the increasing number of opposing politicians and approach the Secretary of State Eric Pickles in the hope of persuading him to put a stop to this folly.
JOS BELL
BELLA HARDWICK
The Earl’s Court Area Action Group is not aligned to any particular party or political movement and is comprised of:
The Association of Event Organisers
The Friends of the Brompton Cemetery
The Hammersmith Society
West Kensington & Gibb’s Green Estates residents
And concerned residents of Earl’s Court and North End Wards