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Housing select committee chair demands access to Westferry Printworks documents and correspondence

The Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee has written to housing secretary Robert Jenrick requesting that he release all relevant documents relating to the controversial Westferry Printworks planning approval.

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Clive Betts said the decision could lead to an “erosion of trust” in the planning system
Clive Betts said the decision could lead to an “erosion of trust” in the planning system
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Housing select committee demands access to Westferry Printworks documents #ukhousing

@CommonsHCLG says Westferry Printworks decision could “erode” trust in planning system #ukhousing

@RobertJenrick given deadline to release Westferry Printworks documents by @CommonsHCLG #ukhousing

Clive Betts, chair of the HCLG committee, has waded into the row over Mr Jenrick’s approval of the 1,500-home east London development, arguing that the ongoing controversy could lead to an “erosion of trust” in the planning system.

Mr Betts has given the cabinet minister until Friday 19 June to respond to the request for “all relevant information” relating to the approval.

Mr Jenrick gave a green light to the scheme one day before the local council was due to introduce a new Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which would have cost planning applicant and Conservative Party donor Richard Desmond around £40m.

Mr Jenrick signed a consent order in May accepting that the approval was unlawful on the grounds of ‘apparent bias’ but recently defended himself in the House of Commons by declaring that “all the rules were followed”.


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He also confirmed to MPs on Monday that he had sent all relevant information on the matter to cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill following calls from the opposition for an investigation.

Mr Betts wrote in his letter: “While the committee acknowledges that your decision has now been quashed, there nevertheless remain important questions about how and why planning permission was granted in the first place.

“I am therefore writing to request that all relevant information, including but not limited to that already sent to the cabinet secretary, is sent to the committee or otherwise put into the public domain.”

The Westferry Printworks decision has been mired in controversy since Tower Hamlets Council launched legal action against Mr Jenrick earlier this year. More questions have been asked since it was revealed that Mr Desmond donated £12,000 to the Conservative Party just two weeks after the application was approved.

Inside Housing recently revealed that Mr Jenrick initially intended to challenge any suggestion of apparent bias but rowed back on this commitment months later.

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