Our campaign has put together our own Risk Assessment of the Earl's Court and West Kensington Opportunity Area as we have been refused a public inquiry by Eric Pickles. Moreover,  Boris Johnson has not listened to the opposition

Parties on the London Assembly who are against the proposed development and Kensington & Chelsea council voted against an Area Action Plan.

Our voices have not been heard. Here in this document we have our say. 

Have your say today at the local London and EU elections.  Earl’s Court needs strong local representatives who speak

up for us, not an arrogant complacent Council crammed with those who cosy up to demolisher Capco, blinded by PR spin, deaf to our very real fears and concerns.

Pensioners from the West Kensington Estate have written to David Cameron asking him to intervene to stop the demolition of their homes. Signed by a dozen residents in their 70s and 80s and one over 90, the letter was delivered to Downing Street today, 20th May 2014, by one of the signatories, Derek Dyball, accompanied by his grandson, to represent their neighbours not well or strong enough to travel. They were accompanied by shadow Justice Minister Andy Slaughter (Labour, Hammersmith) and by fellow residents and supporters.

The West Kensington & Gibbs Green estates contain 760 homes that are structurally sound and meet decent homes standards. It houses a settled, proud and diverse community of some 2,000 people. Despite repeated proof that 80% of residents oppose demolition, Hammersmith & Fulham Council has ignored their views and incorporated the estates into the Earl’s Court redevelopment. 

This £8 billion scheme, the largest of its kind in Europe, would destroy the estates, the Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre and Transport for London’s main engineering depot at Lillie Bridge. The developer has been granted planning permission to build over 7,500 homes in blocks up to 22 storeys high. 80% would be for market sale with prices for 1 bedroom flats starting at just under £600,000. 

In their letter to the Prime Minister, the senior residents explain:

“Our daily thoughts now begin with the danger we fear of demolition and of being forced out. Our concerns revolve around whether we will survive the upheaval. We would not be able to cope either with moving or living somewhere else away from familiar surroundings, neighbours and friends. In our minds, what we face is not ‘regeneration’, but destruction, which is being imposed on us against our wishes.”

This week marks the 43rd year since most of the signatories moved into their newly built homes in Aisgill Avenue. This makes the developer’s proposal for the first phase of demolition - cutting through the middle of the terraces on Aisgill Avenue – especially painful. 

“For those of us left behind, disruption, dust and demoralisation is dreaded. Why is there no consideration for us? For our health and well-being?”

We appeal to you to intervene to stop the Council forcing us to move against our will. We have made our views known to the Council. Despite the harm it will cause to us as elderly residents, they are pushing on regardless. Will you stand up for us? Will you make the Council reconsider decisions that destroy all that we have?” 

The letter ends with an invitation for the Prime Minister to visit the senior residents in their homes.

Local MP, Andy Slaughter said: “This is a heartrending plea from elderly constituents of mine who have every right to be left in peace. I hope the Prime Minister will be moved by their plight and step in to help. At the very least he should visit them to see the situation for himself.”

London Assembly member Nicky Gavron urges Boris Johnson to ensure that TfL joint venture partner Capco desists from putting businesses in Lillie Road under "inappropriate pressure" to vacate their premises to make way for the redevelopment.

Guardian journalist Dave Hill talks to Lillie Road business owners who feel that they are in the front line of the Earls Court redevelopment.  “There's a nice way and nasty way of dealing with business people like me.  I think what they're doing is harassment."

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/davehillblog/2014/may/01/earls-court-project-capco-local-small-businesses

Save Earl’s Court supporters regularly visit the shops along the Lillie Road in Hammersmith and many of the business owners have supported our campaign by displaying our leaflets in their premises or in their windows. 

One of these businesses was the Bodrum Kebab House restaurant which has served the community for many years. The staff were welcoming and the restaurant had a loyal clientele.  On match days the Bodrum was packed with Chelsea FC supporters.

The Bodrum was one of the businesses who had received over a 100% rent increase from EC Properties GP Ltd, a wing of developer Capital and Counties (Capco).  They were trying to renegotiate their rent increase but this was not to be. 

During the night of the 1st of April 2014 at Kensington Town Hall, the council’s Conservative-led Major Planning Developments Committee passed another round of planning applications from Capco.  Whilst Capco directors and their landscapers and architects sat in the Hall, the staff at the Bodrum were removing their equipment from the restaurant and loading it into a van. The manager had been informed by his solicitor that they had until 9am the following morning to vacate the premises. Five people lost their jobs that night – they were distressed and shocked.  

A local resident and photographer Oscar Konrad was passing and took pictures of the Bodrum’s last hours.