Is it possible to make sense of the events leading up to St George withdrawing consideration of their TOPO application from the meeting of the 23rd June 2015?
Here is what we know...
Here is what we know...
1) There were two peculiar things in the Officers report published on Monday 15th June: "273. If the comprehensive development as proposed in Scenario A, which includes the replacement of the 6 affordable residential units within the proposed development was supported, the Council would in principle be prepared to support a Compulsory Purchase Order of Frances House in order to secure a comprehensive development of the site. 2) BBC London News interviewed the KRA and the Leader of the Council on Friday 19th, and broadcast on Saturday: "A number of local residents in South West London have branded plans to redevelop Kingston Town Center a disaster..." 3) On the morning of Monday 22nd, the day before the Decision meeting, the Council Leader made his extraordinary tweet and blog statement: I have made the difficult decision to ask the Development Control committee that the current TOPO scheme should be refused planning permission. | 4) On Tuesday 23rd, the Decision Meeting didn't happen ( it was cancelled ). In a statement St George said: “We asked the Council to remove the planning application for The Old Post Office Site from the Development Control Committee agenda on 23 June 2015 while we consider our position”. 5) On Wednesday 24th, the Council Leader invited us in to explain that, in the days leading up to the decision meeting he 'lost faith in the design of the tower': "You can't lop the glass top off one week before the decision meeting - and still claim its the best possible design" When we asked why he didn't do this months or weeks before, he said: "I was prepared to wait" When is it likely to come back? "We don't know but there are only two more committee meetings in the calendar before September." Going forward we asked to be a part of discussions and to be kept informed. |