In a bizarre and even threatening letter to Dolphin Square residents, Westbrook's Neil Miller Chalk states that "the Planning Committee's refusal has created further uncertainty for you".

Miller-Chalk, who is on-site General Manager, continues "notwithstanding last night's decision we will continue and we will prevail in a form that is appropriate."

Residents are bewildered by his statement that the committee had "voted to reject Westbrook's application to upgrade your homes and living environment at Dolphin Square."

In fact, the committee voted to refuse an application to build a further 250 homes on a seven acre site which already has 1,250 homes and has a greater existing density than any other residential development in the UK.

They also recognised the damage that the development would do to the Dolphin Square and adjoining Conservation areas and the Listed Grade II gardens.

Above all, they rejected the unauthorised use by Westbrook of Rodney House as a hotel and its proposed massive hotel expansion in the guise of residential housing with a paltry affordable housing offer.

Westbrook's planning consultants, DP9, had denied any hotel use. In response one councillor described the Rodney House use as "airbnb on an industrial scale" and another councillor said of the hotel use "if it quacks like a duck and it looks like a duck, it is a duck!"

The development would never have improved the living environment at Dolphin Square and the refusal has hopefully ended the uncertainty that the residents have been feeling since the application was filed 15 months ago.

Westbrook has claimed that it needed profits from the development to carry out refurbishment and maintenance to the fabric of the buildings which it has neglected since its purchase in 2006 despite having claimed  to be receiving rental income of £35 million a year.

One speaker against the development plans pointed out that Westbrook had mortgage  financing  of more than £500 million on the property, the servicing of which may explain the lack of funds for maintenance.

The city's decision has been referred now to the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who has 14 days to decide whether to accept it or to call it in for decision by the GLA.

Please write urgently to the mayor asking him to accept Westminster's decision which has been made in support of many objections from the local community.

The mayor's address is:-

mayor@london.gov.uk

The reference is:   4447 (LPA 18/01099/FULL)

Also copy in the Deputy Mayor of Planning, the Director of Planning and the Case Officer:-

jules.pipe@london.gov.uk,  juliemma.mcloughlin@london.gov.uk, connaire.osullivan@london.gov.uk

ALSO PLEASE CONTINUE TO CIRCULATE OUR PETITION TO YOUR FRIENDS ON SOCIAL MEDIA LIKE  FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM AND WHATSAPP.

THANK YOU!