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Developer donated £12,000 to Conservative Party two weeks after Jenrick’s ‘biased’ planning approval
The Conservative Party received a donation of £12,000 from the property developer involved in the controversial Westferry Printworks project two weeks after housing secretary Robert Jenrick’s intervention gave the scheme the go-ahead.
Richard Desmond, whose company Northern & Shell owns the land in east London made the donation on 29 January 2020 – just two weeks after the 1,500-home development was approved, according to data released by the Electoral Commission.
Mr Jenrick overruled the planning inspector after it had initially decided against the development, partly because just 21% of the scheme was for affordable housing.
The housing secretary’s intervention came one day before Tower Hamlets Council introduced its new Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) structure, which would have cost Northern & Shell between £30m and £50m.
A judicial review was launched by the council and the Greater London Authority; the housing secretary has since admitted that granting permission was unlawful “by reason of apparent bias”, with his decision now quashed.
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Labour shadow minister for housing and planning Mike Amesbury recently wrote to cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill demanding an investigation into the planning decision, saying that “serious questions” need be answered.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has previously rejected the suggestions that the decision was made with any “actual bias” but declined to comment on the latest development as it is a party matter.
Labour’s shadow communities secretary Steve Reed has been granted an urgent question over the issue in the House of Commons today (Thursday 11 June), at which he will call on Mr Jenrick to make a statement to the house.
A Conservative Party spokesperson said: “Government policy is in no way influenced by party donations – they are entirely separate.
“Donations to the Conservative Party are properly and transparently declared to the Electoral Commission, published by them, and comply fully with the law.”
