It was hoped, after the local elections in May, when Labour dramatically overturned the Conservative Majority in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, that transparency and integrity would be the new norm—instead of which, we appear to face more of the same.

Small self-interested cabals, lack of engagement with residents and now a case of the Leadership delegating an important key decision, a decision with significant impact on residents' lives, health and wellbeing, to officers at the last minute: this is shameful. Local residents and community groups have been denied the opportunity to exercise their right to present their views at a scheduled Public Meeting. This promised meeting evaporated without notice and the decision was made behind closed doors.

This does not inspire confidence that Hammersmith and Fulham is in a safe set of hands. Shuffling meetings where opinions are going to be voiced and excluding residents’ views is not democratic and not what people voted for. Democracy and Londoners are the ultimate losers.

This shabby and insulting indifference to local residents will not deter the Earl’s Court Area Action Group in its fight to Save Earl’s Court, the West Kensington and Gibbs Green Estates and the Lillie Bridge Depot.

In a deeply disappointing move, Hammersmith and Fulham’s Labour-run council has approved the Demolition and Waste Management (DWM) plans. The destruction of the Earls Court Exhibition Centre is thus upon us. 

These plans were due to be discussed on the 8th October at a Planning and Development Control committee meeting of LBHF Councillors where the public could participate and petitions on the public health hazards risks would have been presented by residents living in the shadow of the demolitions. 

However, this meeting was cancelled and on Monday 29th September, in a meeting not open to the public, the matter was handed over to planning officers to decide under delegated powers, without reference to some LBHF councillors potentially undermining their future defence of residents in the Gibbs Green and West Kensington Estates.

The bridge between Earls Court 1 and 2 can now be demolished mid-November and the Exhibition Centre start to be demolished over Christmas 2014.  In a matter of weeks the halls that are synonymous with this cosmopolitan part of London will be lost to profit-driven developers. A vital socio-economic hub that benefits the public at large and contributes massively to the local and UK economy will be destroyed in the name of luxury flats far out of the reach of the vast majority of Londoners, a ‘destination’ high street - an oxymoron when that street will most likely be full of shops that can be found elsewhere close by - and a private hospital at a time when the A&E at Charing Cross NHS hospital is being axed and the hospital downgraded to just twenty-four beds.

Despite this bleak prospect, we continue our fight to save Earls Court, the Peoples Estates and the Lillie Bridge depot.