Vince Cable

There is growing anxiety amongst local residents and amenity groups that one of the promised central features of the Normansfield - Langdon Road - development in Hampton Wick, the restoration of the listed Victorian hospital building and historic theatre, is simply not happening. The developer is an off-shore company. It has pressed ahead with new housing, now being sold or let to new residents. But it has shown little interest in implementing the conversion of the old hospital buildings to a hotel and the building continues to decay. Similarly, the remarkable Normansfield theatre remains in a state of uncertainty. The English Heritage register of buildings at risk includes Normansfield.

Vincent Cable said: "An invaluable part of the borough's heritage is falling into decay. The developer of the site has essentially taken advantage of the council by getting planning permission for a housing development based on a pledge to restore the old buildings, but without any time limit. The original developer has sold the building on to another property company which is showing little sign of meeting the planning requirements.

The council now faces the dilemma of either letting the buildings continue to rot, when they will be beyond saving, giving the property company an opportunity to proceed with a profitable, conventional development; or going for compulsory purchase, which will be time consuming and expensive. All things considered this is an unholy mess".