O2 Centre development between Finchley Road and West Hampstead

• THE leader of Camden Conservatives painted his party as champions standing up against the redevelopment of the O2 car park and shopping centre site and other high-rise developments, (Camden’s stance towards developers is high risk, January 19).

What hypocritical nonsense! He must be hoping that the good people of Camden are ignorant of the national planning frameworks set by his own party in government.

The Housing Delivery Test, introduced by the Conservatives in 2018, put councils under huge pressure to maximise the number of new housing units built in their areas. Failure to hit targets can lead to a dramatic weakening in planning controls in their area, lessening the say of local residents.

This encourages developers to seek to turbocharge their profits through high-rise developments with as many units as possible, instead of developments that meet the actual needs and interests of local communities.

Developers know they have councils over a barrel. Because of rules set by the Conservatives. Fun fact: 20 per cent of donations to the Conservative Party come from… property tycoons.

CLLR TOM SIMON
Leader of the Opposition
Liberal Democrat,
Belsize ward