OPDC loses 6,000-home Cargiant site in west London
The Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation has been told to remove Cargiant’s site from its £26bn west London regeneration project and seen its plans for housing shrink to just 14,200 homes.
The planning inspector said development at the Cargiant site was “unviable” and its inclusion “makes the plan itself unsound” in his interim findings in response to the OPDC’s Local Plan.
Cargiant’s 46-acre site was previously included in the plan, with allocation for 5,900 homes. However, the car sales company argues development will require more than £500m in infrastructure spend and £600m to relocate or close Car Giant.
The Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation has been told to remove Cargiant’s site from its £26bn west London regeneration project and seen its plans for housing shrink to just 14,200 homes.
The planning inspector said development at the Cargiant site was “unviable” and its inclusion “makes the plan itself unsound” in his interim findings in response to the OPDC’s Local Plan.
Cargiant’s 46-acre site was previously included in the plan, with allocation for 5,900 homes. However, the car sales company argues development will require more than £500m in infrastructure spend and £600m to relocate or close Car Giant.
The planning inspector said: “Its extinction simply does not make sense in planning terms, nor does its relocation at an expense which would preclude the likelihood of paying for any contribution to necessary infrastructure or affordable housing.”
It also said the number of housing in the Local Plan should be reduced from estimates of 25,500 with 65,000 jobs, to 14,200 and 37,590 jobs, over the next 20 years.
The verdict follows a furious row between the UK’s largest used-car dealership and the GLA, in which Cargiant called for a public inquiry into the OPDC’s finances and an immediate halt to spending.
Cargiant owner Geoff Warren said: “This is a complete and absolute disaster for the OPDC and vindicates everything Cargiant has been saying.
“The OPDC has overseen a scandalous waste of money in the pursuit of a flawed development strategy, despite us shouting from the rooftops that what they were planning could never be delivered. It is now time to stop throwing good money after bad.”
Warren called on the OPDC to withdraw its bid for £250m from the HIF, which was awarded in March, and said: “It is painfully obvious that they cannot meet the conditions attached.”
He also demanded the OPDC publish the conditions alongside its business plan and development strategy.
David Lunts, OPDC chief executive officer, said: “The inspector’s decision not to designate the remainder of Cargiant’s land for future housing development at this stage is not entirely unexpected, given Cargiant’s strong opposition and their recent change of heart to keep their business on the site.
“He has, however, de-designated the site from its protected strategic industrial designation, and given the recent announcement of a two-year delay to the opening of the HS2 station at Old Oak, and the Oakervee review of the entire HS2 scheme, we appreciate that it may be some time before the rest of the Cargiant’s site comes forward for redevelopment.”
The OPDC will review and respond to the findings before a final report is prepared by the planning inspector.
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