Dear Buckingham Palace, our estate needs a Royal pardon

Published: 4 March 2010
by DAN CARRIER

THE QUEEN has been asked to intervene and save nearly 600 homes threatened with sell-off by the Crown Estate.

People living on the Cumberland estate, Regent’s Park, have written to both Buckingham Palace and Prince Charles asking them to exercise influence and stop the sale of their 1920s flats, which provide homes to key workers and affordable accommodation.

Cumberland Market was once part of the monarch’s private property portfolio – now the Crown Estate – which is legally bound to try and make as big a profit as possible from their assets.

The cash made from the estate is passed to the Treasury, which in turn passes it on to the Royal family through the civil list.

A spokesman for the Queen would not say whether Her Majesty had offered her support or not: “People have ­taken the time to write to the Queen and they will get a response,” he said.

The press spokesman for Prince Charles declined to comment.

At a full council meeting on Monday night, scores of residents turned up to lobby councillors and were told that while Town Hall leaders supported the tenants, there was little that could be done apart from voice their displeasure.

Lib Dem housing chief Councillor Chris Naylor told the deputation he supported their campaign. He added: “I am going to write to the treasury to say this is not the time to be making money by selling off Camden’s homes.”

The Town Hall itself has been selling off council homes to raise funds but argues their case is different because they are only disposing of flats and houses which need large levels of repair work.

Steve Smith, chairman of the residents’ association on the Cumberland Estate, said there were fears the estate would be sold to a private landlord. The Crown Estate, which own 13,000 affordable homes across London, has revealed they have already held talks with what they describe as “blue chip private land lords.”

Mr Smith said: “Key worker lets were stopped, rents went up, and when homes became vacant they were sold on the private market. We have real fears that this is going to break up our community.”

The air of suspicion has been heightened by the discovery that the Crown has been planning the sell off secretly for a year. Code named “Project Blue”, there have been discussions with potential buyers.

But tenants were only told four weeks ago of the plans, and the Crown has further refused to hold a ballot to gauge tenants views. Instead, it simply promises to “consult” on the plans.

Holborn and St Pancras Labour MP Frank Dobson warned tenants at a meeting two weeks ago that he suspected the sell off plans were because the Crown wanted to find what they saw as more “profitable” investments.

At the weekend, it was reported that the Crown Estate were aiming to invest £200 million into two office blocks in Regent Street, as part of a £750 million “regeneration” programme for other sites in the West End they own.

‘Estate is key to services’

LETTERS from University College Hospital chief executive Robert Naylor and Jane Collins, his counterpart at Great Ormond Street,  expressing their fears over the loss of key worker homes have been sent to the Crown. Nomination rights for the homes are held by hospitals across London, including the Royal Free, UCLH, Barts, and King’s College. Other vital services whose staff also can be nominated include the ambulance service, fire brigade and the police.

Great Ormond Street child intensive care nurse Emma Sturgess, who was at the meeting, said: “I would simply not be able to afford to work in London.”

She recalled how during the London bombings in July 2007 colleagues had been able to rush to help because they were living in Camden, and that this winter, with weather disrupting transport, nurses were still able to get in.

Royal Free cardiac nurse Laura Robertson said: “I have lived in London for 14 years and had never been able to afford a decent flat. This estate has provided me with a home.”