A recent report in London Centric has revealed that the billionaire philanthropist who is making hundreds of Londoners homeless in none other than Asif Aziz's Criteron Capital which owns Dalston's Kingsland Shopping Centre. The evictions are reported to be part of a plan to replace private tenancies with temporary accommodation units which can be rented to Council's for far more money and in which tenants have fewer rights.
Criteon have made a planning application to Hackney Council, reported here, to build four tower blocks, comprising 254 flats and a mix of commercial uses, to replace the Matalan store and car park on the rear part of the Shopping Centre. The development will not meet the official targets for family homes and will result in severe infringement of sunlight standards for existing and new flats and for open spaces.
Asif Aziz of Criterion Capital who now lives in the Abu Dhabi tax haven
Criteon's scheme included 35% "affordable" homes however the Mayor of London has recently downgraded the requirement for affordable homes. Developers will in future be allowed to qualify for fast-track planning status if their projects included only 20% affordable housing. Of those 20% however, 60% will have to be available at the cheapest social rents.
The downgrade, which was reported here, comes after new housebuilding in London shrank to just a few thousand units a year, with developers saying they are constrained by increased construction costs, high interest rates and sluggish planning procedures.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave comments that will add to the debate! We will not publish comments which are abusive or repetitive.
If we do not publish your comment and you are unhappy, please email info@opendalston.net with your contact details.