CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Oriental City in Colindale, North London, have won a landmark settlement for the tenants of the Far Eastern shopping complex.
Development Securities, owners of Oriental City, have agreed to a compensation package for the tenants which include free rent and continued trading until development of the site starts in June 2008.
Temporary community facilities will also be provided during the construction, expected to take up to three years.
Julian Barwick, the joint managing director of Development Securities, admitted the firm’s initial plan to temporarily relocate tenants during redevelopment was “not very helpful.”
He said: “This new deal is a big positive. It is much better than watching the centre slowly die which would be so bad for the existing traders and indeed not good for the reputation of my company.”
Yip Fai Liu, the chairman of Oriental City Tenants Association, said they were pleased with the settlement.
“We also want to make it clear to all our loyal customers that it is still very much business as usual at Oriental City for many months to come.”
Ronald Lim, founder of Oriental City, said: “I'm very happy that everyone has kept their common sense, looked to the future and have been reasonable with their demands. This is only the beginning and the future of Oriental City looks very bright.
“It is a win-win for everybody.”
Before the agreement campaigners had been preparing their legal case for a judicial review against the £200m development scheme.
Mr Liu said: “We learnt a lesson: Ethnic communities need to get into politics in Britain if we want to have a say. Today we have made history.”
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