Mayor attacks council over houses

The council had hoped to cut affordable homes on the redevelopment of the Prestolite Factory site in East Acton from 148 to 65.

But Ken Livingstone rejected the plans, saying the cut was "scandalous".

However the council insisted that the area already has more social rented homes than the London average.

"The only thing that we're trying to do is give opportunities for hundreds of people to have a stake in their own homes," said Stephen Greenhalgh, leader of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.

"That's what this council was elected to do - to work for ordinary, hardworking people."

'Porter stench'

In the original application for 450 new homes, the council cut the number of social housing from 148 to 65.

The Housing Corporation - the government agency which funds new affordable housing - refused to fund the scheme on that basis, so the authority raised the number to 92 low-rent homes.

The scheme was then referred to the mayor's office which considers large applications.

Ken Livingstone rejected the council's arguments.

"It is scandalous to cut new affordable rented homes and to justify this by saying that the area has enough cheap rented housing already," said Mr Livingstone.

"Hammersmith's actions have the stench of Shirley Porter's regime at Westminster Council in the 1980s."

The mayor has said he will direct the council to refuse the whole application.

But he has also said he will withdraw the direction if more affordable rented housing is brought back into the scheme.

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