MORE needs to be done to prevent controversial planning applications being presented to residents as a 'done deal', according to the leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council.
Stephen Greenhalgh made the extraordinary admission at a meeting last week after being quizzed over the council's contentious decision to allow the redevelopment of the Goldhawk Industrial Estate, currently home to Innocent Drinks and a number of small businesses.
The leader, one of several police, health, fire, council and transport chiefs put up for the first 'borough summit' at Hammersmith Town Hall, acknowledged mistakes may have been made in the planning process when questioned by John Humphrys, the event chairman and BBC presenter, who was a vocal opponent of the Goldhawk scheme.
Mr Greenhalgh said: "One of the things I've learned from these decisions is that we've got to get developers to talk to residents earlier.
"If there are strong feelings about something...don't go to them with a done deal."
About 180 residents turned up for the meeting, with questions covering everything from council tax to Tube repairs.
The dangers of cycling - presented both by unsatisfactory cycle lanes and rogue cyclists - generated some of the most heated debate.
Detective Superintendent Stephen Cassidy said officers had been briefed to stop people riding dangerously on pavements, adding: "It's a discretionary power and I'm assuming that the officers will be giving out tickets to those who are behaving in such a way that they deserve it."
Ashcroft Square resident Desiree Cranenburgh, 52, protesting at the council's plans to encourage redevelopment of its estates, knitted a jumper for the occasion with the slogans 'hands off our homes' and 'community unity' embroidered on the front.
She said: "There's talk of affordable housing, which you can sell, but there's no mention of tenants in social housing. Property developers are not going to build for social housing tenants. I just think we're going to have the Hammersmith and Fulham model village, where they get people in from outside who can afford it, and we'll get moved out."
Moving to reassure residents they would not be made homeless and would be rehoused nearby, Mr Greenhalgh said: "We talk to developers all the time - so does Boris Johnson. It's not an evil thing to do.
"What would be evil would be to surreptitiously plan to demolish your homes. If it does become a possibility, that's when we want to talk to you."
