A wealthy central London council is being accused of social cleansing over plans to move some of the area’s poorest residents miles out of the borough.

Conservative-controlled Westminster City Council has approved plans to buy 24 new one- and two-bed flats 11 miles away in Hounslow town centre despite the protests of its Labour-controlled local authority.

The council, which has seen several luxury developments spring up to cater to the demands of rich elites wanting a central London postcode, plans to move some of the estimated 4,400 households on its waiting list to the small flats miles from their families, schools and places of work on the edge of London.

Westminster has refused to reveal how much they paid developer Galliard Homes for the flats, saying the information was “commercially sensitive”, but a source told The Independent it was a “significant amount of money”.

Hounslow Council is furious at the decision and claims Westminster has gone behind its back to push its housing problems onto it.

Hounslow Council’s leader Steve Curran told The Independent he had only been informed of the deal when he was contacted by a member of Westminster Council’s Labour opposition group last week.

Cllr Curran said he had been approached by Westminster several years ago and asked if he would be willing to allow the council to build homes for their tenants in the borough but had refused.

He said: “We’ve got our own housing crisis; we don’t need to deal with anyone else’s. What we are concerned about is the pressure it puts on our other services, such as schools and the health service, as we haven’t got a clue who they are going to send here.

“The first I knew about this purchase was when I received the cabinet decision.

“I have written to the leader of Westminster raising my concerns, but there is nothing we can do legally to stop it.”

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 18 September 2020 A model presents a creation during the Bora Aksu catwalk show at London Fashion Week 2020 Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2020 World kickboxing champion Carl Thomas during his attempt to run a marathon while pulling a plane at Elvington Airfield near York. The attempt is raising funds for Ollie's Army Battling Against Battens, an organisation campaigning to raise GBP 250,000 to fund a clinical trial aimed at saving the sight of children with CNL2 Batten Disease PA UK news in pictures 16 September 2020 Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner speaking during Prime Minister's Questions UK Parliament/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 September 2020 People enjoying the autumn sunshine as they punt along the River Cam in Cambridge PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2020 Early morning light bathes the skyscrapers of the City of London, at the start of a week in which the UK is expected to bask in temperatures of more than 30 degrees PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2020 England celebrate after they dismissed Australia's Alex Carey to win the second ODI match of the series at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester PA UK news in pictures 12 September 2020 Protesters outside BBC Broadcasting House in central London, as marches and rallies form across the country calling for a 15% pay rise for NHS workers and an increase in NHS funding PA UK news in pictures 11 September 2020 An empty migrant dinghy floats off the beach at St Margaret's Bay after the occupants landed from France in Dover Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2020 A view of small boats thought to be used in migrant crossings across the Channel at a storage facility in Dover, Kent PA UK news in pictures 9 September 2020 EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier, left, arriving from the Eurostar with EU Ambassador to the UK, Portuguese diplomat Joao Vale de Almeida at St Pancras International railway station, London, for the latest round of the negotiations on a free trade deal between the EU and the UK PA UK news in pictures 8 September 2020 Dawn over Coquet Island, a small island off Amble on the Northumberland coast PA UK news in pictures 7 September 2020 A hovercraft arrives to Southsea, Hampshire from the Isle of Wight PA UK news in pictures 6 September 2020 Forensics officers near the scene of multiple reported stabbings in Birmingham Reuters UK news in pictures 5 September 2020 Anti-migrant protesters demonstrate in Dover against immigration and the journeys made by refugees crossing the Channel to Kent PA UK news in pictures 4 September 2020 Activists take part in a demonstration against the HS2 hi-speed rail line outside the Department of Transport AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 3 September 2020 Peter Baker, who plays Trigger in the musical version of Only Fools and Horses, sweeps the stage of the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London, after observing a 15 minute silence to show solidarity with those in the theatre industry that have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic PA UK news in pictures 2 September 2020 Kadie Lane, right, 11, and Brooke Howourth, 11, hug on their walk to Marden Bridge Middle School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, for their first day of term, as schools in England reopen to pupils following the coronavirus lockdown PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2020 Extinction Rebellion protesters sitting outside The Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London PA UK news in pictures 31 August Surfers at Long Sands Beach, Tynemouth PA UK news in pictures 30 August Black Lives Matter protesters march through Notting Hill in London in the first Million People March EPA UK news in pictures 29 August A protester reacts as she demonstrates against the lockdown and use of face masks, amid the coronavirus disease outbreak, outside Downing Street in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 August Caribbean soca dancers display their costumes as they promote the first ever digital Notting Hill Carnival, following the cancellation of the normal Carnival festivities due to the continued spread of the coronavirus disease, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 August Father and son team Chris and Sam Milford from historic building conservation specialists WallWalkers begin restoration work on the spire of Norwich Cathedral, which stands at over 312ft high. The first known spire was completed in 1297 PA UK news in pictures 26 August Giant waves at Seaham in County Durham, as the bad weather continues PA UK news in pictures 25 August An assistant at the Wallace Monument cleans the case which houses the William Wallace sword in the Hall of Arms room at the monument near Stirling as they prepare to re-open PA UK news in pictures 24 August Restored World War Two landing craft LCT 7074 is transported from from the Naval Base in Portsmouth to its final resting place at the D-Day Story at Southsea PA UK news in pictures 23 August Jenny Nguyen and Tony Cao, from Vietnam, pose for wedding photos on Tower Bridge in London, as it remains closed to vehicles after it was stuck open on Saturday due to a "mechanical fault". The landmark's Twitter account confirmed only pedestrians and cyclists could use it on Sunday morning PA UK news in pictures 22 August England's Zak Crawley hit 267, joining the exclusive Double Hundred club, on day two of the Third Test match against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton PA UK news in pictures 21 August Harri Teale gathers lavender during the annual harvest on the Wolds Way Lavender farm near Malton in North Yorkshire PA UK news in pictures 20 August Parents and a student react after checking GCSE results at Ark Academy in London Reuters UK news in pictures 19 August Tate Modern workers hold a strike outside the gallery in London, to protest the institution's announcement that it would cut more than 300 jobs from its commercial arm, Tate Enterprises PA UK news in pictures 18 August Two rescued brown bear cubs, Mish (left) and Lucy, cool off in a pool after arriving at their new home with the wildlife conservation charity Wildwood Trust in Herne Bay, Kent. The orphaned pair, who have been living in a temporary home in Belgium since they were found abandoned and alone in a snowdrift in the Albanian mountains, will be acclimatised to their new life in the country before moving to a permanent home PA UK news in pictures 17 August A level students celebrate outside the Department for Education in London after it was confirmed that candidates in England will be given grades estimated by their teachers, rather than by an algorithm. The government U-turn comes just days after Education Secretary Gavin Williamson vowed there would be "no U-turn, no change. PA UK news in pictures 16 August Wasp players take a knee as Northampton Saints stand prior to kick-off in their Premiership match at Franklin's Gardens PA UK news in pictures 15 August Piper Colour Sergeant Lil Bahadur Gurung attends the VJ Day National Remembrance event, held at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 14 August People including students hold placards on Whitehall outside Downing Street as they protest against the downgrading of A-level results. The government faced criticism after education officials downgraded more than a third of pupils' final grades in a system devised after the coronavirus pandemic led to cancelled exams yes AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 13 August Benita Stipp (centre) and Mimi Ferguson (left) react as students at Norwich School receive their A-Level results PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2020 A train derailment near Stonehaven has left three people dead. Driver Brett McCullough, conductor Donald Dinnie, and a passenger were killed when the 6.38am Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street service crashed amid heavy rain and flooding BBC UK news in pictures 11 August 2020 A woman hydrates in the sun after open water swimming at the West Reservoir Centre in north London Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 10 August 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson takes part in an archery session as he visits Premier Education Summer Camp at Sacred Heart of Mary Girls' in Upminster Reuters UK news in pictures 9 August 2020 People cycle through Cambridge as the heatwave continues in Britain EPA UK news in pictures 8 August 2020 Healthcare workers take part in a protest in London over pay conditions in the NHS Getty UK news in pictures 7 August 2020 Emergency services make their way along the seafront on Bournemouth beach in Dorset on one of the hottest days of the year PA UK news in pictures 6 August 2020 Alison Murphy poses for a picture by husband Peter as she walks through a field of sunflowers in Altrincham, Cheshire PA UK news in pictures 5 August 2020 Pakistan's Abid Ali being bowled by England's Jofra Archer during day one of the First Test match at the Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester PA UK news in pictures 4 August 2020 The 'Timbuktu tumblers' from Kenya perform their balancing act on the Southsea waterfront as Zippos Circus reopens in Portsmouth Rex UK news in pictures 3 August 2020 Pelicans interact with a visitor in St James's Park in London PA UK news in pictures 2 August 2020 Lewis Hamilton drives with a puncture towards the finish line to win the Formula One British Grand Prix at Silverstone POOL/AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 1 August 2020 Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates with the trophy and teammates after winning the FA Cup, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease Pool via Reuters UK news in pictures 31 July 2020 People enjoy the sunny weather at a Bournemouth Beach Reuters

He said Westminster Council and Galliard had relied on a new planning law introduced by the Coalition government in 2013.

This gave developers “permitted development rights” to convert offices into homes without going through the council’s usual planning system.

But Westminster Council claimed it “had discussed the purchase of these properties in Lampford Road with Hounslow Council on an open and ongoing basis”.

Ruth Cadbury, the shadow housing minister and MP for Brentford and Isleworth where the development is taking place, accused Westminster Council of “passing the buck” for its own housing problems.

She said: “For some years now London authorities have had a cross-party agreement not to push housing problems from one borough to the next. Westminster seems to be in complete contravention of that.

“I think they are trying to pass the buck, they are trying to cleanse central London of people on low incomes – which is an issue for those communities but also for the central London economy – and then they are imposing more pressures on outer London.”

Guillard Homes got around the usual planning rules for the development as it was converting a disused office building (Google Maps)

“It is unacceptable that they are not dealing with their own problems and pressures on their own patch. They have the assets, they should be considering of their own residents first.”

She said it “demonstrated the failure” of the national Government’s housing policy and said “local authorities should be getting the financial powers to be able to build homes for its own people where they are and not make them move”.

Ms Cadbury said Westminster’s actions violated an agreement brokered by London Councils, a local government association that represents all 33 of the capital’s councils, where councils agreed not to house homeless families in each other’s boroughs.

But a spokesman for Westminster Council said they had not violated the agreement because it only applied to homeless families who needed temporary accommodation.

He said it was a “choice-based scheme” and no-one would be forced to move but it would not compensate Hounslow for the increased burden on its services.

The spokesman said the people who were likely to move would be council tax payers and therefore be entitled to use Hounslow’s services.

Westminster Council’s Labour opposition leader, Adam Hug, denounced the “worrying” move, saying it “further encouraged the creeping social cleansing of Westminster through both local and national Tory policies”.

He added: “The council should invest that money in creating new council homes in Westminster rather than allowing thousands of luxury flats to be built in the borough while pushing out our council tenants to Zone 5.

“It means families uprooting their lives in order to take advantage of this.

“If it is families, and they may well be doing that, what do people do about their kids in school? There’s a lack of clarity about what happens if they’re getting any support from Westminster in terms of adult social care or children’s social care.”

The number of poorer families being forced out of London has risen dramatically over the past few years

He dismissed Westminster’s claim that council tenants will be able to travel from Hounslow Central to Hyde Park Corner in just 35 minutes on the London Underground, saying most council tenants cannot afford to use the Tube and instead rely on buses which would mean a “two-hour journey at peak times”.

It follows figures revealed by The Independent last year that showed nearly 50,000 families were moved out their home borough in just three years – leading to claims that central London was being “hollowed out” by development.

Daniel Astaire, Westminster Council’s cabinet member for Housing who approved the decision, said: “Westminster is continuing to facilitate, purchase and build as many affordable homes as possible inside the borough.

“Despite this, it is not always possible to house everyone in Westminster; people can wait for 10 years or more for social housing here. Purchasing 24 high-quality new homes in Hounslow is an innovative way of meeting this demand and providing people with a stable home more quickly.”

“These homes are in a location with excellent local amenities and nearby transport facilities so that households who need to travel into Westminster for work, education or social reasons can do so quickly and at reasonable cost.”