Southwark housing boss Michael Scorer has resigned less than two months after admitting the council lacked the cash to meet its house-building target and “was struggling for government help”.
Scorer was hired as Strategic Director of Housing and Modernisation in 2018 and will leave on September 30, ending a five-and-a-half-year tenure.
The housing chief, who is responsible for delivering the council’s housebuilding projects and managing the existing stock, said he left for personal reasons.
Southwark housing boss admits council hasn’t got cash to meet 11,000 council homes promise
He said: “I have been thinking about reducing my working week for a while and, following a year with lots of family health issues including the death of my father, my priorities have shifted.
“The job of strategic director for housing is not one that can be successfully done part-time. And I certainly wouldn’t want to do it without being able to give 100 per cent for residents all of the time.”
Southwark Council said it would begin recruiting a replacement shortly after Scorer officially leaves.
The new director will enter the post following Scorer’s shock admission during June’s Levelling Up, Housing and Communities committee meeting.
During that meeting, he told MPs Southwark only had the money to construct 3,200 of the 11,000 council homes it has pledged to begin by 2043.
Following the admission, Council Leader Kieron Williams urged the government to “step in” to support “the supply of desperately needed new council homes across our whole country”.
Another challenge is the Housing Revenue Account, which was recently revealed to be “at its lowest ever point” due to inflation and soaring energy costs.
Southwark housing fund reduced to ‘lowest ever point’ after council dips into savings
According to the Labour-run council, the deficit is exacerbated by the fact that, since 2010, when the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition came into power, government grant funding for local authorities has been cut by almost two-thirds (£142million).
Southwark Council has also seen the Aylesbury Estate regeneration stall following a council tenant’s legal challenge against the demolition of Phase 2B.
Bermondsey and Old Southwark MP Neil Coyle said: “I’m glad the council will be able to bring someone into the most senior housing role who is fully committed to improving services for my constituents in Southwark.”
But Southwark Council can also point to successes under Scorer’s leadership and is currently the largest council home builder in the country.
Between 2021 and 2022, 726 of the 2,234 council homes started nationally were in Southwark, more than double the next largest council home builder, Haringey.
The regeneration of the Old Kent Road’s Ledbury Estate was also heralded by residents as a success, who were consulted on the designs of the new flats.
Thomas Ennis, a Skenfrith House resident who will move into Bromyard House once completed, said: “The overall scheme is so good and the 165 trees getting planted – I’m so pleased about it. It’s going to be really great.”
The next housing director will also benefit from a recent change in how local authorities spend money earned through the Right to Buy scheme, which allows council tenants to buy their homes for at least a 35 per cent discount if they’ve lived there for three years or more.
Previously, Southwark Council could only spend up to 40 per cent of the money it made from council tenants who bought their properties through the scheme.
According to the Southwark Liberal Democrats, the latest figures show that Southwark lost 115 council homes to the Right to Buy scheme in 2022/2023 and only acquired 34 new homes using receipts.
But under new rules, councils are able to spend 100 per cent of their receipts from 2022 to 2024.
However, Council Leader Kieron Williams said “strings attached” were “nonsensical” and would prevent Southwark from fully benefiting from the rule change.
The Southwark Lib Dems have called for the retention of 100 per cent of right to buy receipts to be made permanent.
Addressing Scorer’s resignation, Southwark Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr Victor Chamberlain commended his “dedication”. He added: “Our Lib Dem group would especially like to thank him for his recent honesty on Southwark Council’s inability to meet Labour’s widely touted and now discredited housing target.”
Southwark Council Chief Executive Althea Loderick said: “I want to thank Michael for his years of service, supporting Southwark’s tenants and leaseholders through some challenging times with his trademark kindness and compassion.
“Michael has worked hard to deliver the council’s vision for housing as set out in our council delivery plan, including our flagship programme to build thousands of brand new council homes, and our estate improvement work in collaboration with residents on the Tustin and Ledbury.
“I have enjoyed working with Michael since I joined Southwark, and I wish him well for the future in what sounds like an exciting new chapter for him and his family.”
Michael Scorer has over 27 years experience in the public sector and previously filled senior roles at borough councils including Camden, Luton and Hackney.
What about all the money they got selling off thousands of council homes on the Heygate and Aylesbury …where did that go ?