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London gets taskforce to secure share of £1.5bn homes plans
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor17.07.09
London is to get its own "housing taskforce" to ensure the capital benefits from the Government's mass home-building programme.
The new body, which will be jointly chaired by housing minister John Healey and Mayor of London Boris Johnson, was unveiled as funding was finally put in place for the nationwide £1.5billion scheme.
The new London Taskforce will bring together Whitehall, the Housing and Communities Agency, City Hall and the capital's boroughs for the first time to drive up housebuilding.
The Standard has learned that London is also to be spared deep cuts to the London Development Agency that had been feared to be part of a package of savings to pay for the new homes.
No10 has brokered a deal between Business Secretary Lord Mandelson and Mr Healey that means there will be £50million less cut from regional development budgets to fund the package.
