Attempts to see PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) unredacted due diligence report on Renewal’s plans to develop ground around Millwall has been delayed to January by Lewisham Council.
Council representatives successfully argued for the postponement of the decision at the Employment Appeal Tribunal, on the basis that one of the directors of Renewal was unable to give evidence – due to illness.
The hearing was to see whether the full due diligence report could be made public as it is said to be what Lewisham Council based its decision on to grant Renewal rights for the project. The development has been controversial as it is unknown who the ultimate owners of Renewal are, and whether they have adequate experience for a project of this size.
The £1bn project, which involves a compulsory purchase order (CPO) of land around the stadium, car park and site of the café, will see some 2,400 homes built, as well as new train station.
The CPO process has come to a halt recently as it was called in by Lewisham Council’s Business and Overview Scrutiny Panel for the cabinet to vote again on, but a re-vote was not able to take place due to an “external investigation” being launched into a mystery document.
As the external investigation continues the re-vote cannot take place.