On the 19th March, Hammersmith and Fulham Council held a "drop in" meeting in the Queen Caroline Estate Residents' Hall in which they said that they have been in discussions with the property developer who owns Queens Wharf. We understand that in fact senior personnel in Hammersmith and Fulham Council have offered our homes to the developer - who would knock them down and replace them with apartments for the rich.The Conservatives and council officials initially denied that they were talking to any property speculators about destroying our homes and actually wrote to all residents to say that these allegations were just "scaremongering". However, the Council now admits that they have been talking with a Mr. Ira Rapp, the Chief Executive of West City Plc but say that these plans are only for the next "fifteen years". We find this impossible to believe. Most property businesses need to make an immediate return on their investment and most property speculators usually operate on a two to four year plan. We therefore believe that the Council's proposals to demolish our homes will come to fruition over the next 3 to 4 years.
We have also learnt that Mr. Rapp actually met a Hammersmith and Fulham Conservative Councillor and council officials in Cannes on the French Riviera to discuss proposals for Queens Wharf. On 27th February Mr. Rapp told Hammersmith Gazette that he would be very interested in being part of developing such a "key site" when asked about the development of our estate.We are not prepared to give up our homes. We have set up a campaign committee and will fight any such plans. You can click here to email us directly. We will keep you in touch with what's happening and what we are doing. Please also click on any of the newspaper articles to expand them and view to read.
