LIVERPOOL’S housing market renewal quango paid £850 a day in consultancy fees to the man who first put the idea forward to the government.

Brendan Nevin, who worked closely with former Labour deputy prime minister John Prescott’s office to design the national renewal programme, was commissioned to run the project after its last chief executive left.

A Freedom of Information request revealed that Mr Nevin was paid a total of £182,750 for his work, which included standing in as interim chief executive of New Heartlands, the Liverpool company set up to manage the project.

Liberal leader Cllr Steve Radford, who has long campaigned against the housing market renewal programme, said: “This is obscene spending of public money on something that has delivered so little public benefit.

“A major consequence of housing market renewal is that Liverpool is littered with derelict properties, people have left the city for good and small businesses in these communities have gone which will never return.

“It’s also been a major contributor to the increased housing waiting lists and that people should profit from that public misery is wrong.”

But a New Heartlands spokesman said paying Mr Nevin as a consultant gave “better value for money” than appointing a new chief executive outright.

The spokesman said: “The post of managing director had become vacant in autumn, 2009, and was advertised for on a three-year contract – an appointment was made but the applicant then withdrew, due to the uncertainty in funding post-2011. At this time, the General Election was on the horizon, bringing with it uncertainty about the future of the programme.

The decision was made by the accountable body and the NewHeartlands Board that we would continue to fill the post on a consultancy basis, as this option would give us better value for money.

“The commission was advertised through competitive tender with Nevin Leather Associates being appointed through Liverpool City Council’s procurement process in compliance with the council’s tendering procedures.

“The costs of employing Nevin Leather Associates for the period concerned were comparable with having a full- time managing director in post.”