Labour councillors have criticised Westminster city council’s decision to accept a £24m payment from Berkeley Group in exchange for the removal of affordable housing from the developer’s scheme at 190 Strand, WC2.
The councillors, who voted against the proposal last week, argued that the council’s decision was counter to its recently launched draft housing strategy document, which says Westminster plans to “deliver 1,250 new affordable homes over the next five years” in part through -section 106 agreements.
Councillor Vincenzo Rampulla, Labour’s housing spokesman, said: “[As the council has sent out its] proposed housing strategy for consultation only a few months ago, residents will have little confidence in the council’s ability to meet its -objective of building more homes in Westminster.
“It is obvious that this money will be used to buy up properties outside Westminster, or even outside London, to ship local families out of Westminster.”
Westminster council said that as a result of the removal of the 22 proposed affordable homes the funds raised could be used to purchase 52 new homes elsewhere.
