Published: Thursday 9 December 2021
Today, I have made the decision to pause the work we are doing on building new homes at Edenham.
In recent conversations I have had with members of the local community, it is clear to me that having one more go at finding a compromise is in the best interest for all of us.
I want to be clear, we will be building homes on this site, but I am not the type of local politician to ram things through regardless. It is against the commitments of this Council, and my own instincts as an elected representative.
With that in mind, I have asked officers to withdraw the planning application and we will engage with the community again to see what might work, and what our options are – including considerations for grant funding from the Greater London Authority.
I am fully aware that this journey has been a long one already for many residents, and all of us probably need to use this Christmas period to reflect and come back in the New Year to have further conversations about the road ahead.
I am proud of our ambition to build at least 600 homes across the Borough, of which at least 300 will be for social rent. That hasn’t and will never change.
However, I have always been serious about the need to work together, with residents. The lessons we are learning as we build at Edenham are helping to inform the way we do things right across the Borough in other locations, north, south and central.
For that, and for their ongoing engagement, I am thankful to the residents of Edenham and for the strong communities we have here in Kensington and Chelsea.
Thank you
Cllr Kim Taylor-Smith
Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Grenfell, Housing and Social Investment, Kensington and Chelsea Council