Local Conservatives Slam Plans That Could Spell End of Millwall F.C.
Ahead of the Lewisham Council Cabinet Meeting on the 11th January which will decide the future of Millwall Football Club, the three Chairs of Conservative Association’s within Lewisham and the former Conservative Lewisham Mayoral Candidate have written to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the Mayor of London to request they call in the Millwall CPO decision.
Under the proposals, Renewal, a developer, will build new homes in the area surrounding Millwall’s stadium – The Den. However, under the current scheme these new homes will be built on land currently leased to Millwall where they conduct community schemes.
This development has been fraught with problems from the start, with Lewisham Council initially refusing to reveal the identities of Renewal’s owners. Lewisham Council refused to let Millwall F.C. make a bid for the land and recent press reports have revealed that the company that owns Renewal is based overseas in the British Virgin Isles and Isle of Man and the former founder of Renewal is close to the political leadership in Lewisham.
Lewisham Conservatives now say they have no confidence in Lewisham Council making the right decision for residents and have asked for Sajid Javid MP, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, and Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, to review this whole scheme and decide on the outcome.
Ross Archer, Chairman of Lewisham Deptford Conservatives whose area will be affected by the proposed development, slammed the Council’s handling “I have no confidence in the Labour dominated Lewisham Council making the right decision on this scheme. This scheme has not felt right from the start. Lewisham Council have appeared cagey on this for a while – not letting Millwall F.C. initially know about their plans to sell the land and entering a closed process with Renewal are just a few examples of this. If Lewisham residents are to have any confidence in the decision on the development around Millwall it needs to be taken out of the Council’s hands. I hope the Secretary of State or Mayor of London calls this decision in.”
Lewisham Conservatives also have concerns that the proposed new Surrey Canal Road Overground Station will no longer be paid for by Renewal as originally proposed and the costs will now be met by the taxpayer. They have also raised concerns that the development will only guarantee at least 12% affordable and social homes, when the whole scheme will build 2,400 new homes.
Attached below are copies of the letters we sent to the Secretary of State and Mayor of London.