Is the Mayor’s Scheme for Carpenters’ Unviable?

The delay in progressing the development of the Carpenters’ Estate in Stratford has been caused by the desire of Mayor Fiaz to distance herself from anything to do with the previous incumbent. Her ‘consultation’ and referendum on the proposed developments came in for considerable criticism because of the way, it is alleged, it was weighted to get the result that the mayor demanded.

The big selling point, and one which Fiaz is inclined to stress, repeatedly, is that there will be some 50% of new homes available at “social rent”. Or sometimes it’s at an “affordable rent”, which isn’t quite the same.

This would be an achievement, whether it is good social policy is another matter, but most schemes can only afford around 30%-35% of housing to be offered at subsidised rents. Mayor Fiaz appears to have a way of upping that figure by 50%.

This has raised some eyebrows.

It seems that Mayor Fiaz got into hot water when confronted by London Assembly Member Andrew Boff at a recent Olympic Legacy event.

He asked, “Is it true that your officers have told you that the plans for 50% affordable homes is unviable?”.

A somewhat flustered and aggressive Fiaz denied this. 

Still, he has got his information from somewhere. We feel an FOI request coming on.