No Resignations Yet After Judge Says H&F Council's Shepherds Bush Market Plans Are Unlawful

H&F Conservatives indicate they still want to demolish these
much loved shops despite High Court judgement.

H&F Conservatives’ terrible scheme to demolish Shepherds Bush Market has been ruled as unlawful in the High Court. The judgement was made on Friday after the Goldhawk Road Shopkeepers successfully brought a judicial review of H&F Council’s planning processes. However, H&F Council have indicated that they are likely to try and ignore Mr. Justice Wilkie's judgement in this press statement also released on Friday morning.

Even by the Council’s low standards, that is an astonishing position to take. The finances alone are hard to justify when you consider that H&F Council have spent £600,000 on legal fees, propaganda and officers' time - a sum equivalent to a 1% council tax cut for every Borough household.

The Administration's position is sadly consistent with their long-standing approach of ignoring the views of all that are against this scheme - as happened when the Goldhawk Road traders brought a petition to this Borough Cabinet Meeting in November 2010.

Mr. Justice Wilkie has handed down a damning indictment of H&F Council's behaviour. It has made the roles of the leading Conservatives and lead officials behind this scheme untenable.

It is worth noting that it is the same gang of individuals in the Council behind this scheme as were behind the Town Hall Skyscrapers scheme, the West Kensington scheme, the Fulham Reach scheme, the Goldhawk Industrial Estate scheme, the Hammersmith Grove office towers and many others. They have also introduced dubious new planning rules to make it harder for elected representatives to examine their all-too-close relationships with property speculators. Those responsible for all this in the Administration must listen to the traders, to Shepherds Bush residents and to the judge or they should resign. I will be perusing this with the authorities.

Meanwhile, here is the press release from the Goldhawk Road traders. And, if you're prepared to register, this is a very interesting report too.