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Friday 21st October, 2005

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By JOEL TAYLOR

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Still waiting for Chinatown plan

THE landowner behind the controversial plans to redevelop large swathes of Chinatown has still failed to submit an application to City Hall.
Rosewheel, part of the property empire of Labour Party donor Robert Bourne, forced out 17 businesses last Easter to make way for a £50 million ‘Chinatown Village’. But City Hall has yet to see any final plans despite pledges that they would be submitted weeks ago.
An emergency meeting between Westminster Council and Rosewheel has now been scheduled for this week – just the latest of more than a dozen – and a spokesman for the company, Horatio Cheng, has insisted an application will be submitted by the end of October.
Mr Cheng said: “It has all but been finalised but we just need one more meeting with the council. It has been difficult during the summer but an application will be submitted this month.”
The West End Extra revealed in January the plans for the £50 million project featuring a Chinese market, stalls and shops. And now businesses who were evicted from the site are now pressing Rosewheel to honour their agreements and give them first choice on any new trading spaces built in the new development.
Jon Chin, who ran the Golden Gate supermarket that was forced out, said: “Rosewheel gave us a promise that we would have first option on any space, but they are not giving us a proper offer.
“It is clear they are not going to give us anything and it has been the case all along.”
He added: “We have been told by the council they will look after our interests, but I don’t think there is much chance of us getting anything.”
But Rosewheel insisted former tenants would be offered tenancies, although this was not a legal requirement.
Its statement said: “The council does not insist that Rosewheel allows ex-tenants from Newport Sandringham Building to return.
“However, as a gesture of good will, Rosewheel has given a written promise to ex-tenants that if and when it receives full planning consent for its complete proposals, all ex-tenants who have signed a tenancy agreement with Rosewheel, will have first choice of trading spaces.”
It added: “Rosewheel has entered into dialogue with all ex-tenants who have bona fide commercial intentions and no political agenda.”

Give power to the people

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