In 2021, Council leader Peter John announced that he would be standing down after more than a decade at the helm of the Council. It then transpired that he had been appointed Chairman of Terrapin Group, a lobbying firm whose client list is dominated by property developers including the Council's development partner for the Heygate estate (Lendlease).
Given Cllr John's signature on the development agreement with Lendlease and the Council's long history of rolling over to Lendlease's demands, some are asking questions about the integrity of the development partnership.
Cllr John signing the regeneration agreement with Lendlease's CEO Dan Labbad in 2010