Crown Estate tenants march on Buckingham Palace, urging the Queen to block move - Millbank Estate set for sell-off, despite petition
Published: 26 March 2010
by JAMIE WELHAM
CROWN Estate tenants turned out in force at the West End HQ of their landlords to let them know they are far from happy about a sell-off.
The Crown Estate, which owns the Millbank Estate in Pimlico, is looking for buyers for around 300 homes in the face of unanimous opposition.
The demonstration marked the end of a six-week consultation.
Objectors marched from Regent Street to Buckingham Palace to hand in a petition with more than 2,000 signatures calling on the Queen to block the sale.
They were joined by Cities of London and Westminster MP Mark Field, and local ward councillors who are supporting the campaign.
Ahmad Ismail, who has lived in Millbank for 12 years said: “It has been a happy place to bring up our family. It is a proper community and we can’t believe they’d even begin to think of jeopardising that.”
Tenants will now have to wait until April for the Crown’s board to make a final decision whether to push ahead with the scheme that they have been marketing to property speculators since January.