A source close to the inquiry, which was commissioned by deputy prime minister John Prescott in June, said the village developer, a Taywood Homes/Countryside Properties joint venture, had satisfied investigators that Ralph Erskine's original concept was being implemented. This is despite assertions from HTA Architects, the scheme's former lead architect, that the developer was failing to meet the brief.
The source added that London School of Economics academic Ricky Burdett, who was appointed watchdog on the £100m Allerton Bywater Millennium Village in West Yorkshire, would be monitoring the Greenwich project to ensure that it did meet the brief.
"Members of the advisory panel have talked to members of the consortium to make sure everyone is clear about their obligations. Ricky Burdett will spend a lot of time making sure that the spirit and the concept we approved is maintained," said the source.
The report on the village was prepared by QS Gardiner & Theobald and incorporates comments from English Partnerships and Stuart Lipton, the Greenwich advisory panel chairman and government architecture champion. It is due to be submitted to Prescott next week.
The report will include verdicts on the scheme's design, innovation and energy-saving development.
The source added that the design of phase two had been a particular cause for concern. "The whole thing was felt to be salvageable. Phase one was fine. Phase two had got a bit silly – the private parking provision on a podium upset nearly all the architects. But that is in the process of being sorted out."
- Stuart Lipton announced at this week's launch of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment that eight government departments have committed themselves to raising the importance of design.
