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The developer behind the Chelsea Barracks scheme has invited Prince Charles to face-to-face discussions to find a compromise over the site.
Ghanim bin Saad al-Saad, chief executive of Qatari Diar, the property development arm of the Qatari royal family, has publicly invited the Prince to sit down with the Mayor and “all parties”, which, presumably includes Lord Rogers, the modernist architect of the scheme.
Mr Al-Saad made the overture in an attempt to defuse the controversy surrounding the £1 billion project.
He said: “We respect the democracy and procedures in the UK and [want to] listen and co-operate with all parties, with Prince Charles, with the Mayor, with everybody.
“We are following the process and procedures. We can sit around the table to get a solution for everybody.”
Westminster council is considering the Qatari plans for the site. Local residents have joined the Prince of Wales in expressing their opposition to Lord Rogers's glass and steel proposals.
The Prince wrote to representatives of the Qatari royal family in March urging them to drop the scheme in favour of a more classical design by architect Quinlan Terry. Charles was criticised by the head of the Royal Institute of British Architects and leading figures such as Lord Foster and Zaha Hadid for interfering in the process.
The row prompted a statement from Qatari Diar earlier this month, which reaffirmed the developer's “wholehearted commitment to the scheme”.
Mr Al-Saad, 44, said: “Our investment in the UK is £3 billion and we are willing to increase to £5 billion or more. “We are not traders. We want to invest more and more in the economy.”
Reader views (2)
Why doesn't the Government take over these premises and use for MP's 2nd Homes ?
- Johnt, London UK, 23/05/2009 03:29
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Rogers, a man of limited cultural understanding and absolutely no taste, has blighted the London skyline.
- Minnie Ovens, London, Uk, 22/05/2009 13:16
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