Intervention by Jenrick follows complaints about height of scheme

Stirling shortlisted architectural practice Henley Halebrown has hit out at the housing secretary鈥檚 decision to call in its 100% affordable housing scheme in west London after the local MP objected to its height.

Hammersmith & Fulham council鈥檚 approval of the 20-storey tower, which replaces another tower, Edith Summerskill House in Fulham, will now be re-examined by a planning inspector following Robert Jenrick鈥檚 intervention.

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The scheme has been on the drawing board for four years

Jenrick acted following complaints about the height of the scheme, including from Greg Hands, local MP and trade minister. Hands responded to the news by tweeting: 鈥淲e need more homes - but not more tower blocks - in Fulham.鈥�

Jenrick鈥檚 intervention infuriated scheme architects Henley Halebrown and developer Hammersmith & Fulham Council, who both hit out at the decision this week.

Gavin Hale-Brown, founder of the practice, said: 鈥淲e are very surprised to see this scheme being 鈥榗alled in鈥� given the extensive consultation that has been carried out at all levels over a number of years.

鈥淭he project had received full permission at local and mayoral level and is the product of a very collaborative process. We feel that it is a great shame that these desperately needed 133 affordable homes will now be delayed further.

鈥淭he building was intended to replace an existing 18-storey tower. The new building has been externally reviewed as an exemplar for safe, high quality public housing.鈥�

The planned development, which will sit on the site of a previous block demolished in 2017, will include 133 homes which are 100% affordable, with 80% for social rent and 20% for intermediate rent.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) declined to reveal the full reasons for Jenrick鈥檚 decision. Ordinarily the secretary of state intervenes in this way only if planning issues of national importance are involved.

Andrew Jones, cabinet member for the economy at Labour-led Hammersmith & Fulham council, which is joint developer of the scheme, called on the government to withdraw the objection 鈥渋mmediately鈥�.

He said: 鈥淎fter a decade of austerity and a drastic shortage of affordable housing, it鈥檚 breath-taking that they should now decide to stop the re-development of the former Edith Summerskill House. We鈥檙e simply seeking to provide new, genuinely affordable homes for local people.鈥�

The intervention by Jenrick is the latest in a long-running saga over the scheme, which is being developed by HFS Developments, a joint venture between the Hammersmith & Fulham Council and Stanhope Developments.

The scheme was re-drafted following a High Court challenge last year before by both Hammersmith & Fulham council鈥檚 planning committee and the Greater London Authority.

MHCLG declined to comment on the decision.

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