Westferry Printworks

The Mayor of Tower Hamlets John Biggs has responded to the announcement that the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has disagreed with the Planning Inspectorate’s conclusions and decided to grant planning permission for the Westferry Printworks planning application.

Mayor John Biggs said:

“I’m extremely disappointed that the Secretary of State has approved the Westferry Printworks planning application.

 

“I’d strongly objected to the revised plans due to their increased height and density as well as the lack of affordable housing.

 

“By ignoring the concerns expressed by the council and residents as well as the Planning Inspectorate decision it sets a worrying precedent for developers to get decisions approved behind closed doors ignoring local democracy.”

The Mayor also proposed an urgent motion at a full council meeting on Wednesday 15th January. The motion was unanimously agreed and secured support from all political parties.

The motion is as follows:

Urgent motion regarding Westferry Printworks

Proposer: Mayor John Biggs

Seconder: Cllr Kyrsten Perry

This Council notes:

  1. That the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has gone against the views of the council, many local residents and the Planning Inspectorate and granted planning permission for redevelopment of the Westferry Printworks site;
  2. That the proposed development was initially refused by Tower Hamlets Strategic Development Committee in March 2016. This was then overturned by Boris Johnson when he was Mayor of London in April 2016;
  3. In 2018, the developer submitted a new application more than doubling the amount of housing, increasing further the density and heights of buildings and reducing the amount of open space, with no significant change in the proportion of affordable housing. The developer appealed before the Council was able to make a decision. However the SDC agreed clear and robust planning reasons for refusal. A public inquiry took place last year. The Conservative Secretary of State has now granted planning permission, against the recommendation of his appointed inspector, who broadly supported the Council’s case and despite clear opposition of the Council, Mayor of London and local residents;
  4. That the Secretary of State’s decision comes only 24 hours before tonight’s meeting where the council will vote on the new Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) charging schedule. By doing this the new development avoids the CIL liability and hence the Secretary of State has deprived the council of an estimated £30m-£50m in CIL contributions.

This Council believes that:

  1. Developments on the Isle of Dogs – which has seen decades of intensive development – must be sensitive to ensure developments strike a balance between realising opportunities for growth and respecting local context;
  2. The plans for the site are unacceptable due to their height and density as well as the low level of affordable housing;
  3. The decision by the Secretary of State to grant planning permission goes against the considerable views and professional opinions that were presented in opposition to the permission being granted;
  4. Decisions of this magnitude should not be taken by the Government behind closed doors and this decision completely disregards local democracy.

This Council resolves: 

  1. To condemn the unilateral decision taken by the Secretary of State and to ask council officers to examine what options are available to the council to challenge this decision, including the option of a judicial review.

|The Mayor of Tower Hamlets John Biggs has responded to the announcement that the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has disagreed with the Planning Inspectorate’s conclusions and decided to grant planning permission for the Westferry Printworks planning application.

Mayor John Biggs said:

“I’m extremely disappointed that the Secretary of State has approved the Westferry Printworks planning application.

 

“I’d strongly objected to the revised plans due to their increased height and density as well as the lack of affordable housing.

 

“By ignoring the concerns expressed by the council and residents as well as the Planning Inspectorate decision it sets a worrying precedent for developers to get decisions approved behind closed doors ignoring local democracy.”

The Mayor also proposed an urgent motion at a full council meeting on Wednesday 15th January. The motion was unanimously agreed and secured support from all political parties.

The motion is as follows:

Urgent motion regarding Westferry Printworks

Proposer: Mayor John Biggs

Seconder: Cllr Kyrsten Perry

This Council notes:

  1. That the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has gone against the views of the council, many local residents and the Planning Inspectorate and granted planning permission for redevelopment of the Westferry Printworks site;
  2. That the proposed development was initially refused by Tower Hamlets Strategic Development Committee in March 2016. This was then overturned by Boris Johnson when he was Mayor of London in April 2016;
  3. In 2018, the developer submitted a new application more than doubling the amount of housing, increasing further the density and heights of buildings and reducing the amount of open space, with no significant change in the proportion of affordable housing. The developer appealed before the Council was able to make a decision. However the SDC agreed clear and robust planning reasons for refusal. A public inquiry took place last year. The Conservative Secretary of State has now granted planning permission, against the recommendation of his appointed inspector, who broadly supported the Council’s case and despite clear opposition of the Council, Mayor of London and local residents;
  4. That the Secretary of State’s decision comes only 24 hours before tonight’s meeting where the council will vote on the new Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) charging schedule. By doing this the new development avoids the CIL liability and hence the Secretary of State has deprived the council of an estimated £30m-£50m in CIL contributions.

This Council believes that:

  1. Developments on the Isle of Dogs – which has seen decades of intensive development – must be sensitive to ensure developments strike a balance between realising opportunities for growth and respecting local context;
  2. The plans for the site are unacceptable due to their height and density as well as the low level of affordable housing;
  3. The decision by the Secretary of State to grant planning permission goes against the considerable views and professional opinions that were presented in opposition to the permission being granted;
  4. Decisions of this magnitude should not be taken by the Government behind closed doors and this decision completely disregards local democracy.

This Council resolves: 

  1. To condemn the unilateral decision taken by the Secretary of State and to ask council officers to examine what options are available to the council to challenge this decision, including the option of a judicial review.

More News

How to Get Involved

We are a member-driven and people-powered organisation. 

Labour activists are the lifeblood of our Party and the engine room of our campaigning. 

Labour’s messages on social media — whether from the party or our people — are an important part of Labour’s digital campaigning and something you can easily help with from home. Hearing direct from people like you in virtual community groups and other online spaces about the issues that matter locally is an important way to amplify Labour’s messages. In times where there can be mistrust of politicians, posts from friends, neighbours and local stakeholders can help voters to connect with Labour values and local track record where other media fails.  We can help you to use social media as a campaign tool for Labour, with training provided for those who want to take it further.

Labour leaflets help us keep in touch with residents, and ensure our representatives and their work are widely recognised. The local team produces and prints Labour literature and organises it ready for distribution by local teams within neighbourhoods.  Could you volunteer to take a delivery round in your local patch? Our leafleters play a vital role in Labour campaigns, and you’ll be given everything you need, including a map of the streets you’ll be covering. Getting started couldn’t be easier!

Dialogue is Labour’s online system for telephone canvassing. It’s a crucial way to connect with voters and provides vital information that helps us at election time. You’ll need an internet-connected device and a mobile phone. Connecting to the system via your Labour membership details means that the calls cost you nothing. Once logged in, you’ll be connected automatically with the voter and can see a script to work through and input responses. We often run ‘phone banks’ to work together, either in person or virtually, and it’s a great way to volunteer when the weather isn’t great for door-knocking.

Traditionally, the Labour Party is known for people-powered campaigning, with door-knocking at its heart. Canvassing is all about collecting information on the thoughts and voting intentions of local residents, as well as connecting them with Labour values through thousands of positive conversations and face-to-face interactions (and not just at election time!). We work in local teams, and your organiser will have an app called Doorstep that directly inputs the information you collect into Labour’s systems. Door-to-door canvassing is the most powerful form of volunteering for the Labour Party and a great way to meet fellow activists in your area.

Beyond talking to voters, there are other ways to help Labour and your community. This could include signing and sharing Labour-led petitions, completing and helping to promote one of our surveys, or co-signing a letter pressing for action on an important topic and encouraging others to do the same. Please look out for opportunities to put your voice behind Labour’s campaigns as we build up the pressure for better ways to address the big issues that face us.

JOIN LABOUR
DONATE
JOIN A TRADE UNION

Tower Hamlets

Promoted by Chris Weavers on behalf of Tower Hamlets Labour Party at 349 Cambridge Heath Road, London, E2 9RA

[email protected] | 07736371160 Privacy Policy

Share Website

Facebook Twitter Youtube