Monday, 10 June 2013

TfL statement...who is shaking their tree?

Interestingly vociferous statement from TfL in response to stories that they were hawking Lillie Bridge to CFC. We add bold emphasis.....

"Graeme Craig, Director of Commercial Development at Transport for London said: "We remain committed to the regeneration and delivery of the Earls Court Opportunity Area. We continue to seek to reach an agreement with our leaseholder, CapCo, in relation to its freehold interest in the land around the existing Earls Court 1 and 2, and hope that these discussions can be concluded shortly. We are also assessing how we might take forward the development of Lillie Bridge Depot. Any such development will be in line with the agreed Master plan"

Which is interesting because on 17 April this year, the same Mr Graeme Craig of TfL appeared before a committee of the London Assembly and said this;

"With regards to specific assets, the Committee also asked Craig to explain where Lillie Bridge Depot, and its potential sale, fitted into the current Business Plan. "Lillie Bridge depot – there are assumed revenues in the business plan. Not £200m, as it happens, from development at Earls Court." Craig explained. "But the business plan doesn't assume any disposal of Lillie Bridge depot. That's in part because we haven't yet carried out the work on – or the work hasn't been completed – on the feasibility of removing the operational infrastructure and the stabling at Lillie Bridge Depot. So there's work underway on Lillie Bridge Depot and we should know by the end of this year as to whether it will be developable as part of the wider Earls Court Masterplan."

As far as we are aware, the "end of the year" is a little way off.

We leave it to the reader to draw their own conclusions as to who may have now leant on TfL after, perhaps,  being caught with their fingers in the CFC cookie jar......