Andrew Dismore

Andrew Dismore, Labour London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden, has today written to Mayor Johnson demanding that he does not call in the planning application for the Mount Pleasant site, after the developers requested the Mayor  does so.

Mr Dismore said:

“It is disgraceful that the developers have asked the Mayor to call in these applications when they are due for determination by the Boroughs in a matter of weeks. The developers have reduced their proposed proportion of “affordable” housing from 20% to 12%, no doubt in the expectation that the Mayor will call it in and will be far less robust in his affordable homes requirements, whilst also bearing in mind that the Mayor’s  definition of “affordable”  is not the same as any person in the street might think to be  affordable.

“Whilst some leeway against the 50% targets set by the Boroughs may be appropriate to safeguard the large number of jobs involved, to reduce the levels to 12% is adding insult to injury, given the huge housing shortages in London for ordinary people. The local community will also suffer years of disruption, loss of light and amenity, and see no benefit whist the developers stand to make even more billions if they get their way.

“The developers’ harder approach may be the result of the recent privatisation of Royal Mail, meaning it has less of a social conscience. The Mayor also has an indirect interest due to the nearby Clerkenwell Fire Station site, he having closed the fire station last week. The Mayor stands to make millions from the sale of the Fire Station building and those capital gains will clearly be affected by the decisions that are taken on the Mount Pleasant site proper, too.

“The right to make the decisions on the Mount Pleasant applications  must stay with the Councils who have the local community’s interests at heart  and this right should not be stolen from them by the  Mayor.”