Jenrick defends decision to speed up Westferry approval as ‘perfectly fair’

By Tom Lowe2020-07-22T10:50:00

PLP's consented Westferry Printworks proposals

Housing secretary fast-tracked decision to help developer avoid £50m charge

Communities secretary Robert Jenrick has said his decision to speed up his approval of the controversial Westferry Printworks scheme to help the developer avoid paying a £50m charge was “perfectly fair.”

Text messages and documents released last month show that the minister asked officials to fast-track the application for the £1bn scheme to help Richard Desmond, the owner of the scheme’s developer Northern & Shell, to avoid a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) which was introduced by Tower Hamlets council in January.

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