Development directors and chief executives from across England were almost unanimously doubtful that the sector would reach 100 per cent Egan compliance in four years.
Even associations at the forefront of innovation were sceptical. Steve Clarke, chief executive of Suffolk housing society, which has one of the Housing Forum's demonstration projects, said: "I don't believe the changes proposed under Egan can be accommodated within such a short timescale. The nature of the changes need a longer lead in period, it needs another two or three years on top of 2004."
He added: "We are not in a position to identify sufficient savings from Egan compliance to achieve the additional number of properties for the same amount of money."
This view was supported by FCH housing and care contracts manager Kesten Villers: "The sector is a hundred years behind. It is more a case of having to do it rather than being ready for it."
Peabody Trust director of development Dickon Robinson argued that Hughes' target was unachievable. "Land prices are rocketing up and we have no control over those. That has more than wiped out anything we have been able to gain on procurement."
Black Country HA business development manger Alan Yates said: "It seems to me that at the moment by trying to achieve one set of targets you fail to achieve some of the others. Cost is more than tricky to bring down."
National Housing Federation head of regeneration and investment Abena Nsia said she could understand why associations were concerned. "They are frightened, they don't know where Egan has come from and it seems like a tall order." She added that Egan compliance was an emerging agenda and it was likely there would be more focus on process improvements over the coming years.
Source
Housing Today
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