I read Mr. Sharma’s comments on the decision made by the mayor of London, Mr. Johnson with much dismay but absolutely no anger.

Mr. Sharma, I said it before and say it again that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones on other. As my political opponent, I understand your desire to make political comments on this, Gas Board site, particularly when you have been at the receiving end for quite some time. However, if Mayor’s decision comes to fruition, the life of residents of Southall particularly those living around South Road, Beaconsfield Road, The Green will be a nightmare. Therefore it is not a Labour/ Conservative issue but cuts across everyone and it is incumbent on people of all political parties, voluntary sector and others to unite against this abhorrent decision and fight it out.

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The Mayor’s decision must be condemned and we must find a way how to fight it out and not engage in mud slinging. My actions, so far, prior to the decision making meeting, included writing a letter to the Mayor urging him to uphold the decision of Ealing’s Planning Committee and meeting with the Deputy Mayor of London, Richard Barnes, who incidentally happens to be a Councillor in the London Borough of Hillingdon as well and of course Leader of the Ealing Council. Councillor Jason Stacey made clear to the Mayor’s advisers that he believes local decision making should be upheld and the decision of the Planning Committee respected.
Following the decision, we the Southall Conservative councillors met with Cllr. Stacey, the Leader of the Council and resolved that the Council will explore all avenues to challenge Mr. Johnson’s decision which includes taking legal advice to embark upon Judicial Review through courts and/or council asking Government of London (GOL) for Mayor’s decision is called in.
I can assure the residents of Southall that we will explore all options to fight this unfortunate decision. This Conservative administration is standing Full Square behind our local Planning Committee, and doing everything in our power to see the original rejection of the development upheld.
Mr. Sharma, this is not the time for point scoring otherwise, otherwise I would be forgiven if I raise the issue of Stroke Unit when you, your Government and the Labour Party despite the overwhelming opposition, simply steamrolled to close it. Did you resign or did any one else resign, of course not. But, I would not muddy the water and for the sake of Southall, I will be more than happy to work with you on this issue. I assure you that we the Conservatives are committed and determined to take measures necessary to see that will of local people prevail.

Mr. Sharma, problem with you is that you hardly attended any meeting of the council even before the position of an MP was thrust upon you and if you did, you hardly contributed to any thing otherwise, you would have remembered that it was Labour administration that presided over plans that were even more damaging than the ones we see now.

It was the previous Labour administration which started the process of getting a developer in to reshape the Southall gasworks site, but in those days it was not 2,500 - 3,750 homes that were being talked about, but 4,500 homes!

In 2004/05, Labour councillor Ranjit Dheer whom you despised at one stage and now your close colleague chaired a Scrutiny Committee which looked into the Southall gasworks. The proposal detailed in that report was for 4,500 homes squeezed into a smaller site, and for 50% of these homes to be social housing. Cllr Dheer made no criticism of these proposals in his chairman’s report.

There were a myriad of other things wrong with the original proposals - issues with Labour’s anti-car obsession which meant too few car parking spaces, as well as a lack of infrastructure or decent public space. That proposal really was a matter of dumping social housing on Southall and ignoring the consequences.

When the Conservatives came in to office in 2006, the administration made it clear to the developers that 4,500 homes were completely unacceptable for Southall. Conservatives were firm that we did not want to see a slum of the 21st century built and that Labour’s targets of 50% social housing was completely out of kilter with Southall’s character as a property owning democracy.

Eventually the developers came back with a far more acceptable proposal where for rent social housing would be limited to 15% with another 15% as shared ownership.

The Conservative administration also insisted that the number of family housing units had to be boosted from what had been proposed under Labour and, again we saw vast improvements from the proposals Cllr Dheer’s Labour dominated committee had been so reticent to criticise.

But the volume of development is still too great for our infrastructure and that is why Ealing’s Planning Committee rejected this application in November. Unlike Labour’s politically craven administration, Ealing Conservatives are proud to do all we can to preserve the will of local people.

My track record is already there for all to see, whether it has been the case of Stroke Unit or the intended closure of Accident and Emergency or Maternity unit or Children services at the Ealing Hospital, I stand by local people and fight for them. My commitment is that in this particular case as well, my colleagues and I will fight this unfortunate decision of the Mayor of London all the way and you have not heard the last from us of this.