Since his win last week everyone has been talking about who is going to land the position for Sadiq Khan’s next deputy mayor for planning. Sadiq Kahn won the election to be London’s mayor only last week and already there are pressures on him to choose his deputy mayor for planning after drama and scandal and surrounding the current housing market in London.
One of those in the running for the position is rumored to by Islington council’s chief executive member for housing and development, James Murray. Khan emerged as the clear leader in the race for City Hall ahead of Zac Goldsmith who placed the attention on attacking his opponents race and religion. Khan instead focused on the issues he hoped to change if elected, housing issues in London being one of them. James Murray is down to be a front runner for the deputy manager position because of his position as a Labour Councillor having held the housing brief at Islington since getting the position in 2010. The borough has been considered one of the most difficult in London to bring forward developments due to it’s strict rules and regulations.
Murray brought forward new rules making it harder for developers to build housing in the area last year, the rules force developers to publish assessments, making the motives of such developments very clear. The growing evidence that proves many developers are creating properties purely to keep them empty and sell later after demands are even more inflated. The viability assessments mean that developers cannot game the system without publishing their interests to do so. The new rules make the system very transparent, clear and fair, making sure that investment is put into affordable housing that is so desperately needed in the city and surrounding areas. Hopes are that Murray will bring this plan into the city planning role if elected.