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An artist’s impression of the proposed new development
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'They don't want poor near them'
Labour councillor accuses objectors
to Swiss Cottage social housing building
A FRACTIOUS row over a new housing block planned for Swiss
Cottage threatened to turn ugly on Thursday night when objectors
were accused of not wanting to live near “poor people”.
Defiant Labour councillors ignored advice from the council’s
own planning department to vote in favour of the new five-storey
building in Winchester Road.
They said they could not resist the prospect of new affordable
homes for families and the chance of soothing the borough’s
chronic demand for inexpensive housing.
Their support tipped a 4-3 vote of the council’s planning
committee in favour of the redevelopment.
Objectors – including all of the Conservative members on
the panel – warned that a popular parade of small shops
would be wiped out and replaced by a building far too big for
the area.
Council officials had advised that the plans by developers London
Merchant Securities and the Genesis Housing Group would affect
lighting to nearby buildings, including the new Visage block.
Conservative councillor Jonny Bucknell said: “There is
consensus that this over-development. We should be voting it
down.”
In a retort that angered protesters, Labour councillor Dave
Horan said: “What has swayed me is the three six-bedrooms
(in the proposals) for our families that are currently living
in absolute squalor. Maybe some of the people objecting don’t
want poor people living near to them. We’ve had that before.”
Ironically, Labour councillors were criticised earlier this
month for not fighting hard enough for affordable homes in the
massive redevelopment of the King’s Cross railway lands.
With regards to Winchester Road, Cllr Horan added: “We
will be able to house people in desperate need. I support this
enthusiastically.”
Residents and traders left the meeting crestfallen at the final
decision. Newsagent Pankaj Shah, who has run a shop in the street
for more than 20 years, said he had already begun looking for
a new job.
He said: “It’s over. My shop will be lost. There will
be no new shop. They will ruin the area doing this. It will
be chock-a-block with traffic around here and change everything.”
Another objector, Paul Fineberg, clashed with Labour’s
planning chairwoman Councillor Heather Johnson.
In a thinly-veiled dig at recent controversy surrounding the
chairwoman’s stewardship of the committee, he said: “I
certainly hope that you won’t be using your casting vote
tonight.”
Mr Fineberg, an architect who lives in Winchester Road, told
the meeting that plans had a “damaging” impact and
had not been fully considered.
Resident Michael White, who also campaigned against the decision,
said afterwards: “I was offended by the comment that we
don’t want to live near poor people. It is offensive.
“We just don’t see why it should be social housing
over our shops. The council hasn’t listened to what the
area needs.” |
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