West Ken: Boris signs death warrant

As expected, and despite the loud voices of residents and politicians from across the political spectrum, Boris has backed his allies in Hammersmith Town Hall and approved the demolition of the West Ken and Gibbs Green Estates, in order that the redevelopment of Earl's Court into luxury flats can go ahead.

Reaction coming in, but to date Andy Slaughter has said:

"Earl’s Court/West Ken is the Tories’ biggest social engineering project, uprooting thousands of low income Londoners and replacing them with ten times the number of high –rise luxury flats for overseas and City investors. As planning authorities, the Tory Mayor and councils have torn up the rule book to help their developer friends, and as landowners they have sweetened the deal with hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ money. This is ideology and gerrymandering corrupting local government as never before.

Only a change of council in Hammersmith & Fulham or a change of Government will decisively tip the balance back in favour of residents. In the meantime we will be demanding the Secretary of State calls this application in for Public Inquiry in view of its size, controversy and the conflicts of interest of local politicians. Failing that residents will resort to judicial review of the flawed planning decisions".

The property developers, on the other hand, are delighted. Here's Gary Yardley, Investment Director at Capital & Counties Properties PLC, the parent company of EC Properties LP:

“We are delighted that the Mayor has approved the regeneration of the Earls Court Opportunity Area. This remarkable project will bring major investment, jobs and high-quality homes to West London. With Hammersmith and Fulham Council we have agreed a generous package of community benefits that will support a vibrant, thriving, strong community creating a great place to live, work and visit. We are very pleased that the Mayor has put his seal of approval on this.”

While his colleague Nick Botterill, leader of Hammersmith & Fulham council says:

"We have said all along that we will only agree to the estates being included in the redevelopment of Earls Court if it benefitted people living on the estates. Estate residents are being offered some of the best terms ever negotiated in any regeneration scheme in the country. There can be no doubt that this scheme will have enormous benefits for both estate residents and London as a whole.”