Greenwich council is expected to defy pressure from London mayor Ken Livingstone over affordable housing provision at the Millennium Dome site.
The proposal to redevelop the controversial site went before the south-east London council's planning committee this week for the first time.

In a letter to the council last Friday, Livingstone had demanded that it ask consortium Meridian Delta – which wants to build 10,000 homes on the dome site – for up to 50% affordable housing. This would tally with the goal in his draft London plan of achieving 50% affordable housing on all new developments.

Livingstone's letter stressed the need to house "the key workers who run our hospitals, schools and public services, but are being priced out of town".

However, sources have indicated that the council is likely to ask for just 35% affordable housing. This would be in line with its policy on other new developments.

The council is expected to announce its decision after a meeting on 16 April. But sources close to the negotiations predicted that the debate will rumble on until at least the autumn, with the mayor, developer and council attempting to reach an agreement.

A spokeswoman called the choice London's "huge decision". But she acknowledged that ultimately, whatever the council decided, the mayor could have the final sway: "The power rests on his shoulders, so he could quite easily call for his 50%. We will just have to wait and see what happens."

A spokeswoman for the Greater London Authority said: "Livingstone wants the developer to go away and give it some proper thought before making a decision.

"They need to be more flexible and to look at the reality of it all – that London seriously lacks affordable housing."

Source

Housing Today