Pledge to West Ken residents

Thursday March 11, 2010

The developer behind the potential redevelopment of Earls Court has come face to face with neighbours in a series of public meetings.

Angry residents spoke of their fear they would be made homeless or forced to move out of the borough if any development goes ahead on the West Kensington and Gibbs Green estates.

But council leader Stephen Greenhalgh said the rumours were 'nonsense and scaremongering', and promised that any tenant living on the estate would be offered a new home in any new development.

In 2012 Capital & Counties, owner of Earls Court, proposed redeveloping its land to build thousands of new homes as well as community and leisure facilities, with resultant job opportunities.

H&F Council owns the West Kensington and Gibbs Green estates, which adjoin the Earls Court site, while a third site, the Lillie Bridge depot, is owned by Transport for London.

The council has been involved in discussions with Capital & Counties to ensure the any proposals will not overdevelop the site.

Critics have accused the council of 'getting into bed with developers' and riding roughshod over residents' demands.

The council, in response, insists no development will go ahead unless it is a good deal for residents and the borough as a whole.

Cllr Greenhalgh said: "We know some residents are concerned about what might happen, but I didn't become council leader to destroy homes.

"Far from siding with developers, we have spent months working extremely hard to ensure sensible plans come forward in future that secure better housing for our existing residents.

"We want to tackle overcrowding and build more affordable homes so that people living in the estate and their children can remain in the area.

"If plans come forward we have issued a cast-iron guarantee that there will be no reduction in the amount of social housing, and all existing council tenants will be offered new homes in the same area as they are already living."

No development will happen until after Earls Court has hosted the 2012 Olympic volleyball tournament.

No decision has been made on any development, or indeed whether the council will even include the two estates. Capco does not have any firm plans to publish proposals.

The council says that if any development does get permission, residents have been assured their new homes will be built before they have to move out.

Any new homes will be built in phases and it could take a number of years until any scheme is completed.

However, concerned members of the two tenants' and residents' associations on the estates have handed the council a 'notice to quit' declaration, stating they want to take over the ownership and running of the estate themselves to prevent any possible development.

Cllr Greenhalgh said he wanted to work with residents to create a master plan to help rejuvenate the area.

Developer Capital & Counties organised a total of seven drop-in sessions to give local people the chance to have their say on the possibility of development.

A spokesman for Capital & Counties said: "Local residents have made their voice heard and we now have a clear view of the very understandable concerns that are out there, as well as their aspirations for the future of the area.

"We will now take these away and reflect on them before coming back to the community, both those living on the Gibbs Green and West Kensington estates, and those in the local area more widely, with a further round of public events in the summer."

For more information, visit: www.myearlscourt.com (opens new window).