West Kensington estate tenants attend the opening of the marketing suite for Capco’s Lillie Square development, part of the Earls Court demolition scheme.

On Thursday 27 March developer Capco launched the promotion of its 800 home development in Seagrave Road with its sales operation launching in Hong Kong the next day. Prices for one bedroom flats start at £600,000.

Prospective buyers queuing outside were handed Save Earl’s Court leaflets. They were surprised to hear that the whole area would be a construction site for 20 years and that 7,000 more flats would be crammed into their surroundings. Some of them were alarmed to discover that 200 of the 800 flats in Lillie Square would be let to council tenants displaced from the West Kensington & Gibbs Green estates.

Community Organiser Jonathan Rosenberg said: “We wanted to provide information omitted from the developer’s press release. The marketing suite bristled with security guards and reeked of opulence, poles apart from the inclusive and affordable neighbourhoods the majority of Londoners aspire to live in.”

For further information check out Dave Hill's blog in The Guardian below:

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/davehillblog/2014/mar/27/earls-court-lillie-square-capco-marketing-materials 

On the 14th of March 2014, local residents and the RMT Union lodged petitions against Transport for London's (TfL) private bill in the House of Commons. Our campaign is arguing that this bill would enable TfL to enter into similar ventures as that proposed with demolishers Capco across London without due democratic scrutiny. The bill had been hurtling unopposed through the Commons. But thanks to the petitions, followed by an objection on the floor of the House by John McDonnell MP on the 18th of March, as well as objections by Andy Slaughter MP and Christopher Chope MP, it now has to be debated in the House of Commons. After the debate, the petitioners go in front of a committee of MP's where TfL's plans will be put under further scrutiny. 

Due to Freedom of Information requests by our campaign, we know that Capco, TfL and the Tory-led council in Hammersmith and Fulham want the Earl's Court redevelopment to be kept a local issue, pitting resident against resident instead of resident v. Council. 

Putting a Parliamentary spotlight on what is happening is what they wish to avoid as has Earl's Court becoming a national issue. Now a combination of local residents, a powerful trade union and MPs has given our campaign the opportunity to have our say in Parliament and raise the profile of our campaign. And there is more to come!

Save Earl's Court benefit gig at The Troubadour, 6th March 2014

Helene Greenwood, The Tuesday Club and the Damn Vandals created a great night of music and their goodwill ensured that we had a successful fundraiser.  We thank them for sharing their talent with us and for giving us all a night to remember.  We also thank The Troubadour for their support of our campaign and the warm welcome we received.

Our event brought together Earls Court Exhibition Centre workers, residents from RBKC and LBHF, Andy Slaughter MP, Murad Qureshi AM, Duggie Fields, Suzanne Kennedy, national newspaper journalists and activists from across West London.

Andy Slaughter MP (LAB, Hammersmith) opened the evening.  West Kensington, Gibbs Green, the Lillie Bridge depot and Earls Court Two which are under threat of demolition, are all in his constituency.  He said that the evening was a celebration and a tribute for the many individuals who had spent "thousands of thankless and unpaid hours working to preserve the communities they love". Their hard work was why "this project is 5 years behind schedule". 

"This campaign has support across the community, across the boroughs, across London and increasingly across the country. Every single party except one [the Conservatives] supports this campaign".

Andy Slaughter ended his speech by saying that "The fightback will intensify and if you have votes use them this May".  The Earls Court and West Kensington Opportunity Area was "A 20 year project based on nothing more than pure greed and if you like, opportunism. The opportunity they thought they would never have to destroy a whole quarter of London."