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West End Extra - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 4 April 2008

Home truths on social housing

• AN application by Peabody Trust for permission for a new development on Peabody Avenue is set to go before the planning committee on the April 10; this application has been supported by the council and ward councillors regardless of the obvious flaws in the plans.
Westminster City Council know that Peabody have problems and any new development will involve public funding, they also know Peabody have been selling off some 900 homes out of their existing housing stock, many of which are in Westminster.
This new development, which will be partially funded by the public, is not providing extra social housing to meet the increased demand; it is simply adding value to Peabody Trust’s assets, selling off existing old homes and replacing them with new, more valuable homes, at the public’s expense.
Westminster City Council have sold off a great number of their homes; they have sold off development land to private property developers instead of building new homes themselves; they have allowed said developers to buy themselves out of their social housing commitments for a price; they only managed to achieve 11 per cent new social housing last year,
They are still granting planning permission for developments which fail to deliver the 50 per cent social housing targets set by the government, and yet they are still reaching their government targets for housing people on their waiting lists.
Is there some mutual admiration society and will this flawed planning application be rubber stamped by the planning committee?
Name and address supplied

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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