Thinking on Sunday: London Housing – Corruption and Crisis

George Turner is an investigative journalist and housing campaigner. In 2015 he took the Secretary of State, Shell Oil, Canary Wharf Group, the Mayor of London and Lambeth Council to the Court of Appeal over plans build 7 new skyscrapers on the South Bank. Although in the end unsuccessful the “battle for waterloo” gained wide-spread media coverage and helped to expose some of the tactics used by property developers and surveyors to get out of their obligations to build affordable housing from new developments.

He has also successfully campaigned against plans to build a £240m development of luxury housing on the South Bank on the site of the former London Fire Brigade Headquarters.

As a journalist he has written about corruption in the housing industry at the highest level, and exposed criminal landlords exploiting the poor.

Despite a widespread acceptance that we are living through a housing crisis, little seems to be being done to improve the living conditions of Londoners. Why? In this talk George discusses what is driving London’s housing market to dysfunction and reveals how the house building industry has managed to exploit the crisis in order to turn an enormous profit

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Doors 2.45pm. Start 3pm.

Entry £8, £4 concessions (free to Conway Hall Ethical Society members, who should book these tickets in advance via the Book Now button)

Please check travel arrangements well in advance as the London Marathon takes place the same day.

Event is subject to capacity, without exceptions. Space will be reserved for ticket holders.

This event is in the Brockway Room on the ground floor (Ground floor – accessible. Induction loop audio). For accessibility info: conwayhall.org.uk/about/visiting-us

It is part of Conway Hall Ethical Society’s charitable programme and is tax-exempt.

Photo:  Shell Tower Development by Matt Brown.