Sadiq Khan blasted over ‘PR stunt’ as he moves City Hall to Royal Docks
Sadiq Khan has been accused of carrying out a “PR stunt” after the mayor confirmed he will move City Hall to new headquarters in east London.
The Greater London Authority (GLA) will leave its iconic base at More London near Tower Bridge in December next year and relocate to The Crystal building in the Royal Docks.
Khan said the move will save £61m over the next five years and help London authorities tackle a £500m financial black hole sparked by the coronavirus crisis.
The mayor vowed to use the savings to protect frontline public services including the police, the London Fire Brigade and key transport services, as well as to invest in the capital’s economic recovery.
But the decision has sparked anger from Tories, who accused Khan of ploughing ahead with a “half-baked plan based on dodgy numbers”.
“The mayor was offered a substantial rent reduction by the landlord of the existing building,” said Susan Hall, leader of the GLA Conservatives.
“Instead of accepting it, Khan has chosen a flawed plan to move. We will doubtlessly see costs spiral and fewer savings than he promises.”
Hall described the move as “more of a PR stunt than an attempt to find serious savings” and took aim at the mayor for “unforgivably cutting London’s policing and fire budgets by over £130m, while he protects his bloated PR spending”.
“Instead of symbolic gestures, we need Khan to identify significant savings to protect London’s frontline services,” she added.
Rent at the current City Hall building, which is owned by Kuwaiti-backed property group St Martins, was due to rise to £9.6m next year, though the landlord offered to reduce the fee.
The mayor’s office said it also faced an additional £3m per year on business rates and service, as well as millions on utility bills, running costs and maintenance.
“Given our huge budget shortfall, and without the support we should be getting from the government, I simply cannot justify remaining at our current expensive office when I could be investing that money into public transport, the Met Police and the London Fire Brigade,” Khan said in a statement.
“Even taking into account a counter-offer from the landlord that would reduce the cost of staying at City Hall, the financial case for moving to The Crystal — a building that is already owned by the GLA — is impossible to ignore,” Khan said.
But the mayor’s calculations have come under scrutiny from his Tory opposition, which has accused Khan of “misleading” Londoners over the potential cost savings.
Analysis by the GLA Conservatives claimed the move would save only £5.6m per year — significantly below the mayor’s own forecasts.
The Crystal
The controversial move, which came after a formal six-week consultation, will see The Crystal renamed to City Hall.
The proposal includes the option for Assembly Members to remain in central London, but the business of the Assembly will be conducted at the new east London headquarters.
A number of teams will be based in The Crystal, while the GLA will also occupy the second floor of the London Fire Brigade’s headquarters on Union Street in Southwark.
The mayor said the move would act as a catalyst for the regeneration of the Royal Docks, which is set to lead to 25,000 new homes and 60,000 new jobs, supported by the arrival of the Elizabeth line.
The relocation will mark the end of an era for the Norman Foster-designed City Hall building on the south bank of the Thames, which has served as the GLA’s home since 2002.
The Crystal, which was bought by the GLA in 2016, has been empty since German engineering giant Siemens moved out last year. It is one of the most environmentally sustainable buildings in the world.