Lendlease v Spurs: Developers at War
Lendlease plans to continue with a massive housing development of mainly private homes in North Tottenham, on the High Road West site where Lendlease and Tottenham Hotspur Football Club are the ‘developers at war’.
Spurs has now bought up 33% of the 11.8 hectare site, which has been awarded to Lendlease for development.
Last year Spurs owned 14%, so they have been spending, spending.
As well as Spurs, the plan depends on the consent of James Brokenshire, Secretary of State for Communities, to the sale of housing land at the Love Lane estate (297 properties) to Lendlease for demolition. We have objected to this consent being given.
There were supposed to be a site capacity of 1,400 new homes at High Road West, but Lendlease have increased the density to 2,500.
The site was masterplanned for 1,200 new homes. that was the last public consultation there.
Tenant campaigner Paul Burnham told Harry Hotspur:
“It is a scandal that Haringey Council have allowed Lendlease effectively to rewrite the planning policy at High Road West. We know the kind of superdense high rise that Lendlease want to build.
Just look at the header image to their corporate Twitter account – just look at the amount of overshadowing, if you lived in a second floor flat in one of these blocks”, he added.
Spurs’ corporate owners hate the council housing next to their stadium, and they have repeatedly lobbied for it to be demolished.
As well as Love Lane, they have a new estate in their sights. Pointing to the Concord House council block in Park Lane next to the huge new stadium development, Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy told Council leader Joe Ejiofor that “I can’t be looking down at that”.
The Council have never consulted the tenants at Concord House on demolition.
Not yet.
#RIPHDV
Haringey Council’s Cabinet decided yesterday not to proceed with the proposed Haringey Development Vehicle (HDV), a joint venture company with the developer Lendlease, to demolish and redevelop council estates and other public buildings and land.
The Council under its previous leadership decided at a Cabinet meeting on 3rd July 2017 to set up the HDV. This in the face or widespread resident and public opposition expressed at meetings, lobbies and demonstrations. Both of the borough’s MPs opposed the HDV.
The decision to set up the HDV was subject to Judicial Review and a subsequent application to appeal, while Councillors supporting the HDV were deselected by 1,200 Labour party members who voted at selection meetings. The new Council elected on 3 May consisted exclusively of Councillors, both Labour and the Lib Dem opposition, who pledge not to continue with the HDV.
Over the last few days, Lendlease sent three letters to the Council suggesting legal reasons why the HDV plan should not be abandoned.
The Cabinet meeting last night was addressed at some length by Dan Labbad, Lendlease’s Chief Executive Officer of International Operations & Europe.
There were running commentaries and anger in the public gallery, as MrLabbad invited everybody to see the new Lendlease development at Elephant Park, where luxury housing is replacing the demolished Heygate council estate, from which only three (yes, only three) resident households have ever returned.
The decision not to go ahead with the HDV is a great victory for democracy and for people power. It is a warning to councils and politicians not to put developer interests ahead of the needs of local people.
No permission for demolition, No social cleansing!
