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West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 14 September 2007

Running down care homes is a Westminster tradition

• THE article by Tom Foot (Old people’s home ‘deliberately run down’, September 7) resonated again the cavalier way Westminster choose to rejuvenate their properties at the expense of the people living in them.
It’s not that long ago that the fiasco of the Berwick Street project highlighted the same tactics of the council. At that time (2003-2005) Westminster chose to deliberately run down the Berwick Street Market and surrounding area with the purpose of then moving in to capitalise on the property for financial advantage (West End Extra Letters, November 18, 2005).
The council have a history in this. Commencing in 2002, Westminster’s corporate property arm deliberately ran down the area of Berwick Street by giving instruction that no improvement or repairs be undertaken. This was further compounded by a direct order not to issue any permanent licences to the market, again in an attempt to undermine the area to such an extent that the only ‘solution’ was redevelopment.
Readers will recall that had it not been for the robust campaign by the residents and the support of the councillors on the planning committee (who seemingly were kept in the dark about such antics of the corporate property team) the gross scheme would have proceeded. That fiasco cost Westminster a reported £600,000 (Letters, February 17, 2006). That figure would probably have well completed the necessary works to ‘regenerate’ the area at the time.
Now the softer targets of Macintosh House and Bridgefield House are suffering the same treatment. Architects commissioned by the council in 2002 recommended works to regenerate Bridgefield House. Those recommendations were completely ignored, and now, elderly residents are being required to move out to facilitate rebuilding and, without a doubt, more money-making schemes. If you scratch the surface, Westminster Corporate Property will be somewhere nearby. A leopard does not change its spots.
MARK WILSON
Noel Street, W1

Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, West End Extra, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@westendextra.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Wednesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number.
Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

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