‘This is too important to get wrong’: Cargiant responds to OPDC on Old Oak

Cargiant has been entirely supportive of the regeneration of Old Oak Common since the plans were first tabled, writes Tony Mendes, managing director of Cargiant. We did not oppose the plans and seek to frustrate development. Instead, we worked closely with the OPDC for years in an effort to ensure that any plans that came forward were capable of securing the relocation of our business in the local area so that we could retain our staff and customer base we have spent 40 years building. We became a reluctant developer purely to ensure we could protect the future of our business. See also: OPDC reacts to Cargiant’s Old Oak fury We had a Planning Performance Agreement with the OPDC during this time and fortnightly meetings with its officers. We spent £8.5m of our own money seeking to make this work and as a result gained a thorough and detailed understanding of the technical challenges and solutions needed. It was the OPDC who told us to stop and told us that our plans were not viable. It was the OPDC who stopped working collaboratively with us and then hired consultant after consultant to work up its own plans without sharing any of this with us. The bid it has submitted for £250m of government money is based on utilising land which we own and which is essential for the operation of our business. Not only has the OPDC refused to share even basic information about what exact land-take it is proposing but, shockingly, it has also confirmed in writing to us on 22 January 2019 that “the OPDC has not yet undertaken a detailed assessment of [Cargiant’s] operations”. Given this fact, we find it barely credible to accept the statement from the chair of the OPDC that “We are working hard with landowners to minimise impacts on local businesses where possible”, or that “My team are committed to working constructively with all landowners”. £30m has already been spent and the CPO process has already been started and yet no assessment of the impact on local business has even been commenced. It is perfectly possible to kick-start development at Old Oak Common and deliver the first new infrastructure and homes, but not in the way that the OPDC is proposing and without needing to spend £250m. Given the issues at stake here and the enormous sums of public money involved, this is why we are simply calling for a pause while this whole matter is reviewed. This is too important to get wrong. See also: Furious row breaks out over Old Oak ‘cock-up’