An attempt by Ken Livingstone to secure more affordable homes in Wandsworth by negotiating a deal with developers could prove to be worthless, councillors have been told.

The bungled deal could lead to luxury homes being built and sold at Falcon Wharf in Battersea without any extra affordable homes being constructed on a separate site in Tooting.

Council leader Councillor Edward Lister and opposition leader Councillor Tony Belton have both agreed to write to the Mayor expressing their concern at his intervention which, they say, has led to confusion and delay and a potentially worse deal for the borough.

The problem began when the Mayor independently negotiated a deal with developer Frogmore Estates to reduce the number of affordable homes at Falcon Wharf in exchange for building a block of 17 three bedroom homes in Garratt Lane, Tooting.

But no planning permission exists for the Tooting development and Frogmore will have to submit a revised application for Falcon Wharf to reduce the number of affordable homes.

Although Frogmore has agreed to this there is no way the Mayor can enforce the deal.

Labour Councillor Sadiq Khan criticised the Mayors meddling: We (the Labour group) objected to the last application for Falcon Wharf, but that is frankly better than the pigs ear than has been made of this.

The developers can stick two fingers up at Ken and theres nothing he can do about it.

To stop this happening Wandsworth will now have to get a legal commitment from Frogmore binding the two applications together to ensure the Tooting homes are built before it grants permission for the revised Battersea bid.

Coun Lister said what the Mayor had achieved was to increase affordable housing in an area where it was already common, at the expense of cheaper homes being built in Battersea where they are badly needed.

He added: It seems the Mayor and his advisers have little understanding of how the property market, or indeed the planning system, works.

A GLA spokesman defended the Mayors intervention claiming there was no provision in the original plans which tied the developer to creating any affordable housing at Falcon Wharf.

By.Daniel Judge