Council boss tells McDonnell: Stay out of homes row
A LABOUR council leader today hit out at shadow chancellor John McDonnell’s intervention in a row over a new housing scheme.
Clare Coghill said Mr McDonnell should focus on winning Tory marginals rather than “querying” the work of Waltham Forest council on its flagship regeneration scheme.
Mr McDonnell spoke at a Left-wing meeting in Walthamstow where he suggested councillors working on unpopular regeneration schemes should abandon their plans.
Tensions in the borough have flared over the council’s decision to grant permission for firm Capital & Regional to redevelop the town’s shopping mall and build more than 500 new homes within four tower blocks.
It involves selling part of the publicly owned town square, and will have 20 per cent affordable homes — below the 50 per cent pledged by the council.
Parallels have been drawn with the outcry over the housing scheme in neighbouring borough Haringey, where leader Claire Kober resigned following months of demonstrations.
Ms Coghill said: “Why is Labour energy not being spent exclusively on winning places like Wandsworth, and querying Waltham Forest instead? Isn’t energy better spent going to places the Tories control and highlighting their failings?”
The shadow chancellor spoke at a meeting hosted by the Waltham Forest Trades Council on private finance initiatives and heard from the campaign against Walthamstow’s mall development. The Save Our Square group is calling on people to “occupy” the town square on February 24.
Mr McDonnell said during the meeting: “I would just say to any local councillor anywhere, the most important thing on these developments is listen to people and take people with you, rather than impose anything.”
Ms Coghill said the proposal to redevelop the town centre is an opportunity the council cannot pass by.
A spokesman for Mr McDonnell said: “John is campaigning rigorously across the country.”