CONSERVATIVE candidates for next year's council elections in Osterley wrote to Housing Secretary, Michael Gove, to request he use his powers to call-in the Tesco/Homebase development proposals for review.

The letter comes after the Tesco/Homebase redevelopment was approved by Hounslow Council and then the Mayor of London earlier this month. 

The proposal would see the Tesco store on Syon Lane relocated to the current Homebase site, at the corner of Syon Lane and the A4 Great West Road, and the current Tesco site turned into tower blocks up to 17 storeys tall. 

Gove, the new Secretary of State responsible for planning and development, will now consider the development proposals following their approval.

The letter, signed by three Conservative candidates for the Osterley ward, Sukhy Bahia, Jason Harcourt and Maneesh Singh, said that hundreds of residents as well as residents group Osterley and Wyke Green Residents Association (OWGRA) objected the proposal.

Jason Harcourt said: "We have written to the new Secretary of State as we believe these proposals fall well short of what could be considered appropriate plans for redevelopment in the area.

"Central Government call-ins over inappropriate planning decisions are not without precedent, and we hope that Michael Gove will side with Conservative candidates, local residents and community groups to oppose this proposal.†

The letter said that the proposals are mainly for one and two bedroom flats, whilst they believe this is out of sorts with the areas 'more suburban' 'village' feel.

The letter goes on to argue that there has not been sufficient attention given to upgrading local infrastructure to support such a large number of new residents, with strain expected on local GP, school and public transport services. 

The Osterley & Wyke Green Residents' Association also presented a petition to overturn the decision to a member of the correspondence team at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, for the attention of the Secretary of State, Michael Gove, on 27 September,