Council鈥檚 deputy leader pledges support to Hammersmith & Fulham council as it looks to 鈥減ull back鈥� from the 2012 planning decision
The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea鈥檚 (RBKC) deputy leader has given his support to Hammersmith & Fulham council as it seeks to revisit developer Capco鈥檚 approved plans for Earls Court.
Cllr Kim Taylor-Smith said during a council meeting this week that he had written to Capco imploring it to 鈥渆xplore any opportunities to increase the level of genuinely affordable housing and social housing in the project鈥�.
He added: 鈥淚 want to make it very clear that I do not believe the continuation of this development under the current terms is right and as a minimum, if this is to continue, I want to see more social and more truly affordable housing in this scheme.鈥�
But Taylor-Smith admitted that the RBKC did not have the 鈥渓egal power to rescind our [planning] decision鈥� to approve the 77-acre scheme in 2012.
鈥淭he application went through due process and was agreed by both boroughs,鈥� he said.
Taylor-Smith鈥檚 support for Hammersmith & Fulham comes a week after the west London council refused Capco鈥檚 request for a new masterplan at the site as it did not 鈥渂elieve the proposed level of density and affordable housing could be supported or delivered鈥�.
The council also called on the developer to hand back the West Kensington and Gibbs Green Estates to it, which are to be knocked down and rebuilt as part of the scheme.
A Capco spokesperson said: 鈥淐apco has completed all the land enablement works and has a site with full planning consent that is ready for development.
鈥漌e continue to work collaboratively with all relevant stakeholders to bring forward the scheme in order to generate benefits for the local and wider London community.鈥�
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