Thames Gateway needs a leader, businesses tell Boris

Business leaders are putting London Mayor Boris Johnson under pressure to appoint a "legacy czar" or risk losing funds for development, because there are too many bodies currently overseeing the scheme.

The Evening Standard reported that the government is overseeing more than 60 taxpayer-funded agencies and organisations in connection with the £9bn regeneration scheme, several of which have overlapping responsibilities.

Baroness Valentine, chief executive of business group London First said that the bodies were "falling over each other" instead of promoting regeneration.

"We need fewer well meant partnerships and more prospective deals with investors. We need strong leadership from Boris, who should appoint a legacy champion to own the vision," she said.

Eamonn Boylan, deputy chief executive of the newly-formed Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), acknowledged the concerns and said he would carry out a "stocktake" of the bodies in charge.