Tenants aim to buy homes to prevent demolition

This week, council tenants and lease holders from the West Ken and Gibbs Green estates served notice to quit the Tory Council landlord, who is aiming to demolish their homes despite the opposition of a least 80% of residents.

Andy Slaughter MP has handed copies of the notice to the Secretary of State, John Denham, to request him to make regulations to allow the transfer of land to take place. Residents believe that this is the only way to prevent a consortium of big business interests, including the Council, intent on destroying their homes to build office blocks and expensive accommodation.

Andy said, "The Tory council said it didn't want these residents living in the borough and that their neighbourhood was 'not decent'. By serving this notice, the residents intend to take charge of their own homes and estates which they will no doubt manage far more competently and compassionately than their Tory Landlords."

Matt Turmaine, a member of the local Labour Action Team, added: "The residents of these estates, and most people in the wider area, don't want this demolition. It will create one of the biggest construction sites in the UK, and this Tory Council has a poor record making big projects work for local areas.

"This action by residents is a positive development, and we will do everything we can to support it."

More H&F Stealth Tax Shame

Usually, you want to hear that your Council is in the top ten of something... but not always. The Daily Telegraph has exposed Hammersmith and Fulham Conservatives for having some of the worst parking stealth taxes in the country.

In 2007, H&F Conservatives helped get parking fines raised by 50%. They then added an extra £500,000 cash target for wardens to generate through new parking fines. Now, as the Telegraph points out, Hammersmith and Fulham is amongst the “10 councils who have raked in the most in fines per head of population” in the UK.