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Legal battle over Haringey Development Vehicle moves step closer
Haringey Council’s plan to set up a £2bn development vehicle could be subject to a judicial review, after a judge ordered a two-day hearing on the merits of a challenge.
After examining submissions from the council and from campaigners against the Haringey Development Vehicle (HDV), Mrs Justice Nicola Davies has ordered the hearing to determine whether a judicial review should take place.
The application was submitted by Gordon Peters, a Haringey resident and campaigner for older people. He argued that there has been inadequate consultation with residents and local businesses over the HDV, particularly in light of the financial risk to the public purse and the changed economic and political circumstances since the HDV’s original business case was written.
Mr Peters also argued that the issue should have been put before a full council, rather than decided by the cabinet alone, and that a full equalities impact assessment should be done.
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The hearing will take place on 25 and 26 October in the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand in London. The council must submit its grounds of opposition by 21 September, while the claimant, Mr Peters, has until 6 October to respond.
Inside Housing understands that some campaigners are also considering attempting to file an injunction against council leader Claire Kober to prevent her from signing any further agreements with Lendlease, the council’s partner for the HDV, until after legal proceedings have concluded.
The process of establishing the HDV is currently under way. Last Tuesday, the council selected four consulting companies to communicate with residents about the regeneration work and help facilitate it.
Last Thursday, Ms Kober nominated three people to be the council’s representatives on the HDV board, which will be split 50/50 between Haringey and Lendlease.
These will be Elin Weston, cabinet member for children and families; Lyn Garner, strategic director of regeneration, planning and development; and Richard Grice, assistant director for transformation and resources.
Update: at 9.31am, 05.09.17 Paul Burnham, leader of Haringey Defend Council Housing, welcomed the decision. He told Inside Housing: “We will be proving that the HDV decision is wrong and that the HDV is not fit for its declared purpose.
“In particular, the thing which I’ll be putting forward is that the HDV is not going to carry out Haringey Council policy. The council made a big play of offering tenants the right to return, but that’s not in the business plan. The council agrees with Lendlease not to put right of return into the business plan.”
Update: at 4.22pm, 06.09.17 A Haringey Council spokesperson said: “We are confident that we have followed the correct process in establishing this joint venture and appointing Lendlease as our partner. We have also received a letter from the District Auditor that states he is content due process has been followed regarding the Haringey Development Vehicle (HDV).
“Haringey faces an acute housing crisis. Our residents desperately need more and better homes and jobs and the HDV will bring billions of pounds of investment to the borough to achieve precisely that. This investment will improve the quality of social housing so people can enjoy better homes than they do at the moment.”
