Sian Berry AM has revealed that the Mayor’s new ‘team of viability experts’ will consist of only two people, which is not enough to challenge the huge resources of developers.
The new team will be based in City Hall and will examine figures submitted by developers when they fail to meet the Mayor’s targets for affordable homes.
However, in response to a written question from Sian Berry, the Mayor has said the ‘team’ will be made up of just two people.[1]
He also failed to give reassurances that they would be permanent staff and not on short term contracts that allow them to move back and forth between public and commercial work that could bring conflicts of interest.
Sian Berry said:
“The Mayor promised a team of experts and Londoners need more than two people in these posts if the Mayor’s goal of challenging developers is to be viable. I am very concerned that two people, however talented, will be stretched beyond capacity and unable to make a real difference.
“There’s already too much of a ‘revolving door’ for consultants between big developers and Council regeneration schemes, and it’s vital that these experts do not also have commercial interests while working on behalf of Londoners.
“The new team needs to be expanded quickly and this should not be done by hiring in consultants on short term contracts, but by building up a dedicated and permanent expert team that works only in the public interest.”
Notes to editors
1. Question from Sian Berry to the Mayor: http://questions.london.gov.uk/QuestionSearch/searchclient/questions/question_291082
Homes for Londoners - expert viability team
Question No: 2016/4598
Sian Berry
How many viability experts will be employed in your expert viability team? Will they work as full-time employees or as contractors or consultants, and will they still be allowed to work for commercial interests at the same time?
Written response from the Mayor
The current proposal is for two ‘viability experts’ to be in the team who will be employed on a full time, fixed term basis.