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Council’s plan for ‘social cleansing’ sparks fury

Broadwater Farm estate ‘targeted for demolition’ under regeneration project

HOUSING campaigners accused a north London council of “social cleansing” yesterday after an estate housing nearly 4,000 people was included in the authority’s regeneration plans.

Haringey residents came together outside a full meeting of the borough’s council, warning that the authority was planning to bulldoze iconic social-housing project Broadwater Farm.

The council denied the allegation but did confirm that a regeneration project was under way with a 50 per cent investment from a private developer.

Haringey Defend Council Housing secretary Paul Burnham said the project will not only drive up rents but also push out the estate’s majority black community.

“This is social cleansing pure and simple,” he warned

“Black and white people will be uniting to stop the developers trashing Tottenham’s mixed and diverse community.”

The council argued that Broadwater Farm was included in Haringey’s local plan to satisfy requirements set by national government.

However, Haringey recently launched a new housing and regeneration programme called Development Vehicle, which is currently seeking a private partner to take up half the investment.

A council spokesman rejected campaigners’ claims that “at least 3,644 homes on council estates” would be demolished in the area to “build expensive private housing all around the borough.”

He said: “It is unacceptable and offensive to use the term ‘social cleansing.’ Local people are at the heart of our regeneration plans.

“Our innovative Development Vehicle will act as a safeguard against local people’s priorities being overlooked.

“Instead of simply selling off land to private developers, we will retain control of the quality of development and ensure that that new jobs, improved public facilities and affordability are at the heart of future plans on council land.

“It is simply wrong to claim that a single family will be forced out of Haringey.”

Such a policy would put the Labour majority council at loggerheads with the party leadership, since both Jeremy Corbyn and London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan have vowed to end “social cleansing” in the capital.

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