Massive boost in fight to save Crown Estate key worker homes

Tuesday March 30, 2010

By DAN CARRIER

THE proposed sale of hundreds of homes for key workers by the Crown Estate could be scuppered after the Treasury expressed concern over the way the plans have been handled.

For the past six weeks, tenants in Cumberland Market, Regent’s Park, have fought a battle against their homes being sold to the highest bidder by their landlords. Landlords the Crown Estate, who have been plotting the sale in secret for over a year, say they are legally bound to continually assess their multi-billion pound property portfolio and ensure they get the highest returns possible for the Treasury, which then uses some of the proceeds to fund the Civil List.

It has been reported that they plan to invest in refurbishing shops and offices they own along the length of Regents Street.

But now a Treasury Select Committee report, published today, accused the Crown of not carrying out a key plank of consultation over their plans. The period for talking to tenants ended last week, and now the Crown’s board have to assess the findings and work out their next move.

The select committee report said they “…are concerned with the Crown Estate’s consultation exercise and apparent failure to speak to local organisations who have rights to nominate key workers.”

During the tenant-led campaign now into it‘s sixth week, chief executives from University College Hospital and Great Ormond Street wrote to the Crown, expressing their dismay at not being asked for their views.

The report continued: “More generally, we urge the Crown Estate to engage more fully with key public bodies in London about their future plans for their London property portfolio.”

Holborn and St Pancras Labour MP Frank Dobson said: “They are just confirming what every one else thought. How can the Crown Estate go ahead with the sale without going back to consult with tenants and organisations?”

He added that the Crown, who have spent over £54,000 on the consultation, could have gauged the views of their tenants by simply holding a ballot.

He added: “The Electoral Commission would have charged just £2,500 to do that.”