Amsterdam city council is not worried about the impact of the arrival of the European Medicines Agency on the city’s already stretched housing market, the Parool has reported.

As yet it is unclear how many EMA workers will make the move from London to Amsterdam, but current estimates range at between 200 and 700. The agency has a current workforce of some 900.

The city has already set up a special project team to ensure a smooth transition to the Netherlands. However, the paper says, their remit is to encourage people to move to Leiden, The Hague, Utrecht and Alkmaar as well as the capital.

In these areas, there are sufficient places at international schools, officials said in answer to questions from Socialist Party councillor Erik Flentge.

In addition, Londoners are used to travelling long distances to work and will be happy in the other cities as well, the paper quotes the city’s executive board as saying: ‘We therefore do not expect a major impact on the housing market… in Amsterdam.’