Abu Hamza's London Home to Undergo £70,000 Renovation Funded by Taxpayers

Abu Hamza's London family home, valued at £1.7 million, is set to receive a £70,000 renovation funded by taxpayers. The five-bedroom Edwardian council property in Shepherd's Bush, where Hamza's eight children were raised, will have new windows, doors, solar panels, and loft insulation installed. Hamza, 68, is currently serving a life sentence in a maximum-security prison in the US. His wife, Najat Chaffe, 67, is the only registered occupant of the property and has the right to remain there due to a longstanding tenancy arrangement. Hammersmith and Fulham Council is responsible for the property's maintenance and has stated that it is legally obligated to carry out improvement works across its housing stock. The home is located in a conservation area and has appreciated in value over the years. Planning permission for the renovations has been submitted but not yet approved, with completion expected before the end of the decade. The decision to fund the renovations has drawn criticism from local officials, including Conservative opposition leader Jose Afonso, who described the spending as a waste of public funds. Chaffe moved into the home in 1995, and although Hamza never officially lived there, he was reportedly seen at the property before his arrest in 2004. The council had previously requested Chaffe to move to a smaller property due to the size of the home relative to the number of occupants, but she was entitled to refuse based on her tenancy rights. Hamza was extradited to the US in 2012 after a lengthy legal battle and was convicted in 2014 for his involvement in a kidnapping plot in Yemen and for establishing a terrorist training camp in Oregon. He is currently held at ADX Florence, a supermax prison in Colorado, where he has raised concerns about his conditions and health issues.