Emily Thornberry has hit out at Clerkenwell's Lib Dem councillors for being "completely blind" to the 13,000 families on Islington's housing waiting list, after they refused to cite the lack of affordable housing in their reasons for turning down the proposed tower development at Old Street.
Although the committee rejected the development of the basis of its design, Clerkenwell's 3 Lib Dem councillors voted that the development's offer of affordable housing was acceptable - despite just 18 of the site's 225 flats being affordable rented homes.
In a charged planning committee on Tuesday, Emily Thornberry spoke about the 13,000 families on Islington's waiting list for housing, and urged the committee to reject the tower for not having enough affordable rented flats for people on the waiting list. Labour Councillor Gary Doolan agreed, and asked the committee to reject the tower on this basis - but this reason was voted down by the three Lib Dem councillors from Clerkenwell.
The tower's developer is likely to appeal the decision to refuse permission - and in a last-minute phone conversation with the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, Emily asked the Mayor to step in at an appeal to demand an increase in the development's affordable homes for rent. It is thought the Mayor is likely to intervene on any appeal, and will only support the development after a significant increase in the amount of social rented housing - the housing most needed by those on Islington's waiting list.
Emily Thornberry, whose appearance at Tuesday's planning meeting was the first time she has spoken at an Islington planning meeting, said:
"I do not usually come to planning meetings, and I do not plan to make a habit of it. But I read about this development - 225 flats, with only 18 on the site that will be affordable to rent, and I felt outraged at the idea of a development as big as this going ahead without more affordable housing. The Liberals refer to some of the other flats being 'intermediate' - but these 'intermediate' flats cost £180/week for a 1-bed and £250/week for a two bed. That is simply not affordable for the 13,000 families on Islington's housing waiting list"
