30 September 2013
SOUTH OXHEY INITIATIVE DESCENDS INTO “FARCE” AND “CHAOS”
The developer chosen by Three Rivers Council to rebuild the centre of South Oxhey has sensationally pulled out of the project and left it in limbo.
The news has sent shockwaves across the estate and is yet another embarrassing setback for the council.
Work was supposed to have been started on the rebuilding of the precinct area in March, but nothing happened after two interested developers pulled out in January this year.
If that wasn’t bad enough a simplified tender was issued and eventually London-based Catalyst Housing Limited (CHL) was chosen as the development partner after the council’s property advisors Deloitte Real Estate recommended the council enter into exclusive discussions with them.
The council immediately issued one of its usual gung-ho press releases, but Labour’s newsletters delivered to almost 5,000 homes across the estate painted a rather different, and ultimately more realistic picture.
Catalyst Housing Limited has walked away from the project after negotiations undertaken with council officers broke down.
South Oxhey Councillor Stephen Cox said the situation was a “farce” and the project was mired in “chaos” that nobody wanted.
Northwick Ward representative Councillor Len Tippen branded the news “a huge disappointment all-round, especially for residents in the flats affected by the proposed demolition of their homes” who he said faced yet more “continuing crippling uncertainty and delay.”
County Councillor Joan King was equally livid saying; “People’s lives are on hold and they are suffering over all of this.”
Your Labour Team are attending the next meeting of the South Oxhey Initiative Steering Committee. We will be asking some tough questions as to why a project due to bring new shops and homes which started more than two years ago has delivered nothing but false dawns and disappointments to date.
The news has sent shockwaves across the estate and is yet another embarrassing setback for the council.
Work was supposed to have been started on the rebuilding of the precinct area in March, but nothing happened after two interested developers pulled out in January this year.
If that wasn’t bad enough a simplified tender was issued and eventually London-based Catalyst Housing Limited (CHL) was chosen as the development partner after the council’s property advisors Deloitte Real Estate recommended the council enter into exclusive discussions with them.
The council immediately issued one of its usual gung-ho press releases, but Labour’s newsletters delivered to almost 5,000 homes across the estate painted a rather different, and ultimately more realistic picture.
Catalyst Housing Limited has walked away from the project after negotiations undertaken with council officers broke down.
South Oxhey Councillor Stephen Cox said the situation was a “farce” and the project was mired in “chaos” that nobody wanted.
Northwick Ward representative Councillor Len Tippen branded the news “a huge disappointment all-round, especially for residents in the flats affected by the proposed demolition of their homes” who he said faced yet more “continuing crippling uncertainty and delay.”
County Councillor Joan King was equally livid saying; “People’s lives are on hold and they are suffering over all of this.”
Your Labour Team are attending the next meeting of the South Oxhey Initiative Steering Committee. We will be asking some tough questions as to why a project due to bring new shops and homes which started more than two years ago has delivered nothing but false dawns and disappointments to date.
