What effect will Stephen Barter have at Qatari Diar? The former projects director at Grosvenor, who was suckled at Richard Ellis, returned from a job in Qatar to run the UK development business of the oil-rich state a short while ago. He was apparently appointed directly by the Prime Minister, Sheik Hamad. Barter's instructions are to sort out the Chelsea Barracks planning fiasco and get a grip on the Shard.
That latter instruction may be why Irvine Sellar is reported to be trying to slash the £27.6m section 106 agreements on the 1000-ft tower in Southwark, which is just coming out of the ground. It should be remembered that Sellar only owns 20% of the equity. Qatari Diar is actually in control. So much so that there are now rumours being put about that the Qatari's want to buy Sellar out. Why, who knows? Hang on in their Irvine. It was your idea.
The far more difficult issue facing Barter is the reaction of the Emir of Qatar to Prince Charles's request to ditch the 650 flats stacked up to 13-storeys high by Richard Rogers at the behest of the Candy brothers - who are now determined to sue the highest in both lands for a very large sum of money indeed for being ejected. A legal explosion is expected shortly.
Every architect and his wife was invited to submit new ideas for the 13-acre Chelsea site that was sold to the Qataris for £956m: ten are still on a very long shortlist. The locals now want nothing higher than four storeys. If that happens the Qataris are heading for a half-billion loss. It is all a bit of a mess. The hope is that the highly effective and sensible Barter can sort this mess out.
Nothing higher than four storeys?! They are clearly pitching at a low number in expectation that the planners agree something between that and what Qatari Diar submits. My guess is something around six(in my not very expert opinion!)